- to become aware of (something) through the senses, esp the sight; recognize or observe
- (transitive; may take a clause as object) to come to comprehend; grasp
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
per•ceive /pɚˈsiv/USA pronunciation
v., -ceived, -ceiv•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [not: be + ~-ing]
- to become aware of or identify by the senses:[~ + object]Some artists perceive very subtle differences in shade and tone.
- to recognize or understand: [~ + object]I perceive difficulties in putting your idea into practice.[~ + that clause]He perceived that there would be difficulties.
per•ceive
(pər sēv′),USA pronunciation v.t., -ceived, -ceiv•ing.
per•ceiv•ed•ly
(pər sē′vid lē, -sēvd′-),USA pronunciation adv.
per•ceiv′ed•ness, n.
per•ceiv′er, n.
per•ceiv′ing•ness, n.
- to become aware of, know, or identify by means of the senses:I perceived an object looming through the mist.
- to recognize, discern, envision, or understand:I perceive a note of sarcasm in your voice. This is a nice idea but I perceive difficulties in putting it into practice.
- Latin percipere to lay hold of, grasp, equivalent. to per- per- + -cipere, combining form of capere to take
- Anglo-French *perceivre, for perçoivre
- 1250–1300; Middle English perceiven
per•ceiv′er, n.
per•ceiv′ing•ness, n.
- 1. note, discover, observe, descry, distinguish. See notice.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
perceive /pəˈsiːv/ vb
'perceive' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
aesthetics
- apperceive
- apprehend
- catch
- comprehend
- conspicuous
- cotton on
- detect
- diagnosis
- dichromatic
- differentiate
- discern
- dissent
- distinguish
- divine
- espy
- feel
- hang
- hard
- hear
- insight
- intelligence
- ken
- know
- lose
- make out
- miss
- note
- notice
- observe
- percept
- perception
- perceptive
- percipient
- pick out
- presage
- receive
- recognize
- remark
- resent
- scotoma
- see
- see through
- seek
- sense
- sensibility
- sensorium
- sentient
- smell
- achromate