perceive
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to notice or see something, especially when it is not very obvious.
to become aware of something through the physical senses, particularly sight or hearing.
Simple“I could perceive a faint smell of smoke coming from the kitchen.”
In context“The researchers were able to perceive subtle changes in the patient's heart rate that had gone unnoticed by the previous team.”
UsageOften used with 'can' or 'could' to describe sensory detection.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to think of something or someone in a certain way.
to regard, interpret, or understand something in a particular manner.
Simple“Many people perceive the new law as a threat to their privacy.”
In context“The public tends to perceive the CEO as a visionary leader, despite the company's recent financial struggles.”
UsageCommonly used in the pattern 'perceive something as something'.
Usage generally perceive · individual perceive · perceive as
“First we perceive something, then we think about it and make a choice, and finally we act.”
“But for the brain to perceive these languages as a real language, they have to express meaning about the world, other people and our own mental states.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.