perceived; perceiving; perceives
1
a
: to attain awareness or understanding of
b
: to regard as being such
was perceived as a loser
Examples of perceive in a Sentence
We perceive by means of the kaleidoscopic mirror of this life. This means that our ability to perceive is at once tyrannized by our expectations, and at war with them.
—
James Baldwin, The Evidence of Things Not Seen, 1985
Standing in the hallway just out of sight during this interview was Sarah. She held her baby on her hip and she listened. She perceived as no one in the family could the enormity of the misfortune.
—E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, 1974
… and when they perceived her to be little struck with the duet they were so good as to play, they could do no more than make her a generous present of some of their least valued toys, and leave her to herself, while they adjourned to whatever might be the favourite holiday sport of the moment, making artificial flowers or wasting gold paper.
—Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814
I thought I perceived a problem, but I wasn't sure.
perceived that it was going to be a nice day
James Baldwin, The Evidence of Things Not Seen, 1985
Standing in the hallway just out of sight during this interview was Sarah. She held her baby on her hip and she listened. She perceived as no one in the family could the enormity of the misfortune.
—E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, 1974
… and when they perceived her to be little struck with the duet they were so good as to play, they could do no more than make her a generous present of some of their least valued toys, and leave her to herself, while they adjourned to whatever might be the favourite holiday sport of the moment, making artificial flowers or wasting gold paper.
—Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814
I thought I perceived a problem, but I wasn't sure.
perceived that it was going to be a nice day
Recent Examples on the Web
The feeling of disrespect in the winter over his emotional outbursts and what some perceived to be criticism of the supporters has subsided as Palace’s European journey has continued.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 May 2026
There’s also sharp critique of creative choices, tone shifts, and perceived laziness in storytelling.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 May 2026
Too much red, meanwhile, risks disorienting penguins, whose eyes can’t perceive it (likely because red light does not deeply penetrate the ocean, which is their primary hunting environment).
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
People who are more prone to road rage are more easily triggered than others by their experiences on the road, and may tend to perceive incidents (whether accidental or not) as personal slights, Hennessy said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for perceive
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 May 2026
There’s also sharp critique of creative choices, tone shifts, and perceived laziness in storytelling.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 May 2026
Too much red, meanwhile, risks disorienting penguins, whose eyes can’t perceive it (likely because red light does not deeply penetrate the ocean, which is their primary hunting environment).
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
People who are more prone to road rage are more easily triggered than others by their experiences on the road, and may tend to perceive incidents (whether accidental or not) as personal slights, Hennessy said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for perceive
Cite this Entry
“Perceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perceive. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perceive
verb
per·ceive
pər-ˈsēv 
perceived; perceiving
2
: to become aware of through the senses and especially through sight
perceiver
noun
Medical Definition
perceive
transitive verb
per·ceive
pər-ˈsēv
perceived; perceiving
: to become aware of through the senses
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
