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perceive Definition

per·ceive (pər sēv′)

transitive verb, intransitive verb -·ceived′, -·ceiv′·ing

  1. to grasp mentally; take note (of); observe
  2. to become aware (of) through one of the senses, esp. through sight

Etymology: ME perceyven < OFr perceivre < L percipere, to take hold of, feel, comprehend < per, through + capere, to take: see have

perceive Related Forms

per·ceiv′·able adjective per·ceiv′·ably adverb per·ceiv′er noun

perceive Synonyms

perceive

v.

  1. See

    observe, note, notice, discern; see discern, look 2, regard 1, see 1.

  2. Understand

    comprehend, sense, grasp; see distinguish 1, learn 1, recognize 1, understand 1. See syn. study at discern.

perceive Usage Examples

Object

  • exertion: The original Borg scale of perceived exertion has been modified.
  • threat: The crew perceived a hostile aircraft threat to be closing on their ship.
  • lack: Finally, the table points to a perceived lack of opportunities for women.
  • shortcoming: Do you perceive shortcomings with the existing rules on access to documents?
  • barrier: The ' Parent Know How ' campaign has been developed to break down some of the perceived barriers to asking for help.
  • weakness: That something was finally done has much to do with the perceived weakness of the Royal Navy at that time.

Subject

  • listener: To increase the level of reality and immersion perceived by the listener.
  • observer: Indeed, the isolated sytem does not absorb or emit anything... and, as a result, cannot be perceived by any observer.
  • ear: Each 10dB increment is perceived by the ear as about twice as loud.

Preposition: as

  • threat: Most were 'British ' who adapted to the New Zealand situation, so they were not perceived as a threat.
  • means: Visual merchandising is perceived as a genuine means of gaining competitive advantage over other retailers and is a major draw to consumers.

Modifying Another Word

  • differently: For instance, difficulty levels: at different difficulty levels Faces of War will be perceived differently.
  • widely: The central bank is widely perceived to be a driving force behind many of the reforms mentioned by Fitch.
  • wrongly: Some teachers are insufficiently sensitive and can underestimate a childâs intellectual abilities or wrongly perceive a child as lazy.
  • negatively: This call for strike action can only be negatively perceived, given the increasingly bleak climate of uncertainty with regard to the international situation.

Used with why or when

what: This tendency to perceive what one wants to see can be traced to several factors.

Infinitive complement

exist: Students should be asked what barriers they perceive to exist, and how they believe the department can reduce or remove them.

Preposition: by

  • listener: To increase the level of reality and immersion perceived by the listener.
  • observer: Indeed, the isolated sytem does not absorb or emit anything... and, as a result, cannot be perceived by any observer.
  • ear: Each 10dB increment is perceived by the ear as about twice as loud.