perceive definition | Dictionary.com

per⋅ceive

[per-seev]

–verb (used with object), -ceived, -ceiv⋅ing.

1.	to become aware of, know, or identify by means of the senses: 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.

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

Related forms:

per⋅ceiv⋅ed⋅ly [per-see-vid-lee, -seevd-]

, adverb

per⋅ceiv⋅ed⋅ness, noun

per⋅ceiv⋅er, noun

per⋅ceiv⋅ing⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. note, discover, observe, descry, distinguish. See notice.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To perceive

per·ceive (pər-sēv')

tr.v. per·ceived, per·ceiv·ing, per·ceives

To become aware of directly through any of the senses, especially sight or hearing.
To achieve understanding of; apprehend. See Synonyms at see¹.

[Middle English perceiven, from Old French perceivre, from Latin percipere : per-, per- + capere, to seize; see kap- in Indo-European roots.]
per·ceiv'a·ble adj., per·ceiv'a·bly adv., per·ceiv'er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Perceive

Per*ceive"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perceived; p. pr. & vb. n. Perceiving.] [OF. percevoir, perceveir, L. percipere, perceptum; per (see Per-) + capere to take, receive. See Capacious, and cf. Perception.]

1. To obtain knowledge of through the senses; to receive impressions from by means of the bodily organs; to take cognizance of the existence, character, or identity of, by means of the senses; to see, hear, or feel; as, to perceive a distant ship; to perceive a discord. --Reid.

2. To take intellectual cognizance of; to apprehend by the mind; to be convinced of by direct intuition; to note; to remark; to discern; to see; to understand.

Jesus perceived their wickedness. --Matt. xxii. 18.

You may, fair lady, Perceive I speak sincerely. --Shak.

Till we ourselves see it with our own eyes, and perceive it by our own understandings, we are still in the dark. --Locke.

3. To be affected of influented by. [R.]

The upper regions of the air perceive the collection of the matter of tempests before the air here below. --Bacon.

Syn: To discern; distinguish; observe; see; feel; know; understand.

Usage: To Perceive, Discern. To perceive a thing is to apprehend it as presented to the senses or the intellect; to discern is to mark differences, or to see a thing as distinguished from others around it. We may perceive two persons afar off without being able to discern whether they are men or women. Hence, discern is often used of an act of the senses or the mind involving close, discriminating, analytical attention. We perceive that which is clear or obvious; we discern that which requires much attention to get an idea of it. "We perceive light, darkness, colors, or the truth or falsehood of anything. We discern characters, motives, the tendency and consequences of actions, etc." --Crabb.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : perceive

Spanish: percibir; notar, observar,

German: merken,

Japanese: みとめる

More Translations »

perceive

c.1300, via Anglo-Fr. parceif, O.N.Fr. *perceivre, O.Fr. perçoivre, from L. percipere "obtain, gather," also, metaphorically, "to grasp with the mind," lit. "to take entirely," from per "thoroughly" + capere "to grasp, take" (see capable). Replaced O.E. ongietan. Both the L. senses were in O.Fr., though the primary sense of Mod.Fr. percevoir is literal, "to receive, collect" (rents, taxes, etc.), while Eng. uses the word almost always in the metaphorical sense.

Main Entry: per·ceive
Pronunciation: p&r-'sEv
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: per·ceived; per·ceiv·ing
: to become aware of through the senses —per·ceiv·able /-'sE-v&-b&l/ adjective —per·ceiv·ably /-blE/ adverb —per·ceiv·er noun

perceive per·ceive (pər-sēv')
v. per·ceived, per·ceiv·ing, per·ceives

To become aware of directly through any of the senses, especially sight or hearing.
To achieve understanding of; apprehend.

per·ceiv'a·ble adj.
per·ceiv'a·bly adv.
per·ceiv'er n.

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