perceptive

per·cep·tive

adjective \pər-ˈsep-tiv\

: having or showing an ability to understand or notice something easily or quickly

Full Definition of PERCEPTIVE

1

:  responsive to sensory stimuli :  discerning <a perceptive eye>

2

a :  capable of or exhibiting keen perception :  observant <a perceptive scholar>

b :  characterized by sympathetic understanding or insight

— per·cep·tive·ly adverb

— per·cep·tive·ness noun

— per·cep·tiv·i·ty \(ˌ)pər-ˌsep-ˈti-və-tē\ noun

Examples of PERCEPTIVE

1. He is a very perceptive young man.
2. <due to their ability to rotate their ears, cats are very perceptive when it comes to pinpointing the source of a sound>

First Known Use of PERCEPTIVE

1656

Related to PERCEPTIVE

Synonyms

delicate, fine, keen, acute, quick, sensitive, sharp

Antonyms

unperceptive, unwise

Related Words

accurate, clear, discerning, good, piercing, precise, receptive, sensible, subtle; hair-trigger, hyperacute, hypersensitive, oversensitive, supersensitive

Near Antonyms

bad, deadened, dimmed, dull, dulled, fading; dead, imperceptive, insensible, insensitive, numb; imprecise, inaccurate

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

per·cep·tive

adjective \pər-ˈsep-tiv\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of PERCEPTIVE

: responsive to sensory stimulus <a perceptive eye>

—per·cep·tive·ly adverb

—per·cep·tive·ness noun

—per·cep·tiv·i·ty \(ˌ)pər-ˌsep-ˈtiv-ət-ē\ noun, plural per·cep·tiv·i·ties