perceive

Forms

present (v1): perceive
past (v2): perceived
past participle (v3): perceived
present participle: perceiving
3rd person singular: perceives

Definitions

1.To become aware of, through the physical senses, to see; to understand.
- Then our first effort must be to identify the actual words. Only after recognizing them individually can we begin to try to understand them, to struggle with perceiving what they mean.
2.To interpret something in a particular way.

Frequency

Overall

Uncommon· #2518

By learning goal

Everyday conversation: Rare
General reading & writing: Uncommon
Academic: Uncommon
Literature: Rare

Related words

Word family

perceived

Etymology

From Middle English perceyven, borrowed from Old French percevoir, perceveir, from Latin percipiō, past participle perceptus (“take hold of, obtain, receive, observe”), from per (“by, through”) + capiō (“to take”); see capable.

Compare conceive, deceive, receive.