# perception

/pɝˈsɛpʃən/ (US) · /pəsˈɛpʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/perception
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. an opinion or belief

noun · CEFR B2

the way you think about something or your idea of what it is like.

For teachers: a belief or opinion, often held by many people and based on how things seem.

- Public perception of the company changed after the news report.
- The marketing campaign was specifically designed to shift the public perception of the brand from an affordable option to a luxury staple.

### 2. sensory awareness

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

the ability to see, hear, or smell things, and how your brain understands those signals.

For teachers: the neurobiological process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory information.

- Drugs can sometimes change your perception of time and space.
- The study explores how visual perception is affected by low-light conditions in elderly subjects compared to younger control groups.

### 3. insight or acuity

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the ability to notice things that are not obvious to others.

For teachers: the capacity for insight or intuitive understanding; mental acuity.

- She is a woman of great perception who notices every small detail.
- His keen perception allowed him to identify the subtle tensions within the room long before any overt disagreement occurred.

## Examples

- The public perception of the company changed after the scandal.
- Because of his quiet nature, people often have the false perception that he is unfriendly or arrogant.
- The philosopher argued that human perception is inherently flawed, as our brains actively construct reality from limited sensory inputs rather than passively recording the outside world.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.