perceive
verb
per·ceive pər-ˈsēv 
perceived; perceiving; perceives
transitive verb
1
a
: to attain awareness or understanding of
b
: to regard as being such
was perceived as a loser
2
: to become aware of through the senses
especially : see, observe
perceivable
pər-ˈsē-və-bəl
adjective perceivably
pər-ˈsē-və-blē
adverb perceiver noun
Synonyms
- feel
- scent
- see
- sense
- smell
- taste
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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
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 Recent Examples on the Web When peers don’t correctly perceive their gender identity, something that hormones could ameliorate, belonging becomes difficult. Wired, 20 July 2022 Studies have shown that among those who perceive themselves as having Long COVID, fewer children than adults have objective symptoms. Erin Prater, Fortune, 28 May 2022 The numbers illustrate how much ideology shapes the way people perceive the world. Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2022 To not be affected by the way people perceive them, to distance from the others’ look and the effects of social networks. Jamie Lang, Variety, 17 Jan. 2022 In contrast to former child stars who perceive themselves as the playthings of stage parents, the Howards write with honest appreciation of working in a field neither chose but both seem to have enjoyed and, eventually, embraced. Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021 Multiple people said their multiracial identity has at times put them at odds with people of color, who perceive them as moving away from their non-White identity and betraying the community. Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2021 The action comes from Woolf’s focus on the characters’ bubbling streams of consciousness, which clue readers in to the ways that the guests perceive, and misperceive, themselves and one another. Heather Hansman, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2022 Companies like RD Land are hoping to push these boundaries of how users perceive the world around them, by subverting the way their senses react. Katherine Singh, refinery29.com, 12 Aug. 2022 See More
Wired, 20 July 2022 Studies have shown that among those who perceive themselves as having Long COVID, fewer children than adults have objective symptoms. Erin Prater, Fortune, 28 May 2022 The numbers illustrate how much ideology shapes the way people perceive the world. Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2022 To not be affected by the way people perceive them, to distance from the others’ look and the effects of social networks. Jamie Lang, Variety, 17 Jan. 2022 In contrast to former child stars who perceive themselves as the playthings of stage parents, the Howards write with honest appreciation of working in a field neither chose but both seem to have enjoyed and, eventually, embraced. Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021 Multiple people said their multiracial identity has at times put them at odds with people of color, who perceive them as moving away from their non-White identity and betraying the community. Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2021 The action comes from Woolf’s focus on the characters’ bubbling streams of consciousness, which clue readers in to the ways that the guests perceive, and misperceive, themselves and one another. Heather Hansman, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2022 Companies like RD Land are hoping to push these boundaries of how users perceive the world around them, by subverting the way their senses react. Katherine Singh, refinery29.com, 12 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French perceivre, from Latin percipere, from per- thoroughly + capere to take — more at heave entry 1
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
perceive
verb
per·ceive pər-ˈsēv
perceived; perceiving
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
L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz2
: to recognize or realize
I perceived a change in her attitude.
3
: to think of as
The message was perceived as a threat.
Medical Definition
perceive
transitive verb
per·ceive pər-ˈsēv
perceived; perceiving
: to become aware of through the senses
perceiving
verb
1
as in sensing
to have a vague awareness of I thought I perceived a problem, but I wasn't sure Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- sensing
- seeing
- feeling
- noticing
- smelling
- hearing
- tasting
- realizing
- anticipating
- scenting
- beholding
- discovering
- learning
- observing
- ascertaining
- foreseeing
- expecting
- noting
- distinguishing
- witnessing
- suspecting
- supposing
- discerning
- remarking
- viewing
- espying
- regarding
- spying
- descrying
- sighting
- presuming
- divining
- guessing
- assuming
- eyeing
- conjecturing
- speculating
- finding out
- surmising
- eying
- foreknowing
- looking (at)
- catching on (to)
2
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes perceived that it was going to be a nice day Synonyms & Similar Words
- noticing
- seeing
- spotting
- regarding
- observing
- beholding
- eyeing
- viewing
- remarking
- distinguishing
- noting
- espying
- eying
- witnessing
- discerning
- watching
- spying
- identifying
- descrying
- catching
- sighting
- considering
- examining
- getting a load of
- surveying
- heeding
- studying
- glimpsing
- looking (at)
- scrutinizing
- scanning
- inspecting
- picking out
- setting eyes on
- laying eyes on
- marking
- minding
- making out
- picking up
- attending (to)
- peering (at)
- glancing (at)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ignoring
- disregarding
- neglecting
- missing
- overpassing
- overlooking
- passing over
3
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of I perceive your point, but I still disagree Synonyms & Similar Words
- knowing
- understanding
- recognizing
- comprehending
- seeing
- deciphering
- appreciating
- grasping
- realizing
- sensing
- cognizing
- apprehending
- intuiting
- conceiving
- getting
- discerning
- beholding
- assimilating
- making
- seizing
- compassing
- decoding
- registering
- catching
- grokking
- digging
- twigging
- making out
- fathoming
- absorbing
- savvying
- digesting
- tumbling (to)
- picking up on
- penetrating
- cottoning (to or on to)
- catching on (to)
- taking in
- piercing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- missing
- mistaking
- misinterpreting
- misperceiving
- misreading
- misunderstanding
- misconstruing
- misconceiving
- misapprehending