Definition of 'perceive'
Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense perceives
, present participle perceiving
, past tense, past participle perceived
1. verb
2. verb
If you perceive someone or something as doing or being a particular thing, it is your opinion that they do this thing or that they are that thing.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
perceive in British English
verb
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
perceivable (perˈceivable) adjective
perceivability (perˌceivaˈbility)
noun
perceivably (perˈceivably)
adverb
perceiver (perˈceiver)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French perçoivre, from Latin percipere seize entirely, from per- (thoroughly) + capere to grasp
Word Frequency
perceive in American English
verb transitive, verb intransitiveWord forms: perˈceived or perˈceiving
1.
to grasp mentally; take note (of); observe
2.
to become aware (of) through one of the senses, esp. through sight
SIMILAR WORDS: disˈcern
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
perceivable (perˈceivable)
adjective
perceivably (perˈceivably)
adverb
perceiver (perˈceiver)
noun
Word origin
ME perceyven < OFr perceivre < L percipere, to take hold of, feel, comprehend < per, through + capere, to take: see haveWord Frequency
perceive in American English
(pərˈsiv)
transitive verbWord forms: -ceived, -ceiving
SYNONYMS 1. note, discover, observe, descry, distinguish. See notice.1.
I perceived an object looming through the mist
2.
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
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
perceivedly (pərˈsivɪdli, -ˈsivd-) adverb
perceivedness
noun
perceiver
noun
perceivingness
noun
Word origin
[1250–1300; ME perceiven ‹ AF *perceivre, for perçoivre ‹ L percipere to lay hold of, grasp, equiv. to per- per- + -cipere, comb. form of capere to take]Examples of 'perceive' in a sentence
perceive
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In other languages
perceive
British English: perceive
VERB /pəˈsiːv/
If you perceive something, you see, notice, or realize it, especially when it is not obvious.
Students must perceive for themselves the relationship between success and effort.
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perceive
Related terms of
perceive
Source
Definition of perceive from the Collins English Dictionary
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