perceive
verb
per·ceive
| \ pər-ˈsēv
\
\
perceived;
perceiving;
perceives
Definition of perceive
1a
: to attain awareness or understanding of
b
: to regard as being such
was perceived as a loser
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Other Words from perceive
perceivable
\ pər-ˈsē-və-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
perceivably
\ pər-ˈsē-və-blē
\
adverb
\
adverb
perceiver
noun
Examples of perceive in a Sentence
We perceive by means of the kaleidoscopic mirror of this life. This means that our ability to perceive is at once tyrannized by our expectations, and at war with them.
— James Baldwin, The Evidence of Things Not Seen, 1985
Standing in the hallway just out of sight during this interview was Sarah. She held her baby on her hip and she listened. She perceived as no one in the family could the enormity of the misfortune.
— E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, 1974
… and when they perceived her to be little struck with the duet they were so good as to play, they could do no more than make her a generous present of some of their least valued toys, and leave her to herself, while they adjourned to whatever might be the favourite holiday sport of the moment, making artificial flowers or wasting gold paper.
— Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814
I thought I perceived a problem, but I wasn't sure.
perceived that it was going to be a nice day
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Recent Examples on the Web
While unionization and workers' rights are bound to stay at the forefront of the conversation through the 2020 election, there are other economic factors that could affect how such issues are perceived. — Aj Willingham, CNN, "64% of Americans support labor unions but membership is at a record low," 31 Aug. 2019 If the money handed out to consumers were perceived as unfairly distributed, for example, the central bank could become less popular. — Tyler Cowen, Houston Chronicle, "Yes, the Fed could still stop a recession," 29 Aug. 2019 Soviet censorship allowed some room for negotiation, but outside the USSR, official and dissident literature were perceived as polar opposites. — Sophie Pinkham, The New Republic, "Vasily Grossman’s Lost Epic," 27 Aug. 2019 Isabel Foxen Duke, a diet recovery coach and creator of the Stop Fighting Food movement, believes that bingeing is a direct and inevitable outcome of restriction and real or perceived deprivation. — Natalie Zises, Bon Appétit, "Before You Go Paleo, Keto, or Whole30, Think About These Side Effects," 26 Aug. 2019 But also on top of what is perceived to be enormous natural resources. — CBS News, "Transcript: Jim Sciutto talks with Michael Morell on "Intelligence Matters"," 21 Aug. 2019 The chill from Washington, as the Brits perceive it, has also unnerved others in Europe who rely on Britain as their Trump whisperer. — Kimberly Dozier / Aspen, Time, "The 'Special' U.S.-U.K. Relationship is Bruised After Trump Officials Left U.K. Out of Iran Strike Planning," 23 July 2019 Such arrangements may be legal but are rarely discussed openly, given concerns about how fans will perceive them, touring executives tell Billboard. — Dave Brooks, Billboard, "Secretly Recorded Phone Call Offers Window Into How Live Nation Helped Metallica and Other Artists Place Tickets Directly On Resale Market," 19 July 2019 Pelosi’s main argument was that even though House Democrats know an inquiry is a more limited first step to get information, the public will perceive it as an aggressive move toward impeachment. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "As Speaker Pelosi makes the case against opening an impeachment inquiry, here are the House members who support it.," 26 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perceive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for perceive
perceive
verb
English Language Learners Definition of perceive
formal
: to notice or become aware of (something)
: to think of (someone or something) as being something stated
See the full definition for perceive in the English Language Learners Dictionary
perceive
verb
per·ceive
| \ pər-ˈsēv
\
\
perceived;
perceiving
Kids Definition of perceive
1
: to become aware of through the senses and especially through sight
Perceiving the intruders in their nest the birds flew down upon them …— L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz
2
: to recognize or realize
I perceived a change in her attitude.
3
: to think of as
The message was perceived as a threat.
perceive
transitive verb
per·ceive
| \ pər-ˈsēv
\
\
perceived;
perceiving
Medical Definition of perceive
: to become aware of through the senses
Other Words from perceive
perceivable
\ -ˈsē-və-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
perceivably
\ -blē
\
adverb
\
adverb
perceiver
noun