Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Perceive
Per-ceive′
(pẽr-sēv′)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Perceived
(pẽr-sēvd′)
; 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. Shakespeare
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.
– 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 1828 Edition
Perceive
PERCE'IVE
,Verb.
T.
1.
To have knowledge or receive impressions of external objects through the medium or instrumentality of the senses or bodily organs; as, to perceive light or color; to perceive the cold or ice or the taste of honey.2.
To know; to understand; to observe. Till we ourselves see it with our own eyes, and perceive it by our own understanding, we are in the dark.
3.
To be affected by; to receive impressions from. The upper regions of the air perceive the collection of the matter of tempests before the air below.
Definition 2024
perceive
perceive
English
Alternative forms
- perceave (obsolete)
Verb
perceive (third-person singular simple present perceives, present participle perceiving, simple past and past participle perceived)
- To see, to be aware of, to understand.
- 2012 March-April, Colin Allen, “Do I See What You See?”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 168:
- Numerous experimental tests and other observations have been offered in favor of animal mind reading, and although many scientists are skeptical, others assert that humans are not the only species capable of representing what others do and don’t perceive and know.
-
Synonyms
Related terms
Translations
to understand
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References
- perceive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913