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
This action is perceived as a possible challenge to FICO’s market dominance and its forthcoming pricing power in the credit scoring sector.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
While Brussels perceives Ankara as an essential security partner in the face of a growing Russian threat, Washington is looking for even more.
—Jesse Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
The project helped people in the industry see the potential for constructing larger structures in wood, which can be perceived as being difficult because of the rules around fire risk.
—Lucy Handley, CNBC, 15 July 2025
While there is no formal diagnosis for the condition, the inability to perceive and manage time is included in the DSM-5 criterion for ADHD.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
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.
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
While Brussels perceives Ankara as an essential security partner in the face of a growing Russian threat, Washington is looking for even more.
—Jesse Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
The project helped people in the industry see the potential for constructing larger structures in wood, which can be perceived as being difficult because of the rules around fire risk.
—Lucy Handley, CNBC, 15 July 2025
While there is no formal diagnosis for the condition, the inability to perceive and manage time is included in the DSM-5 criterion for ADHD.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for perceive
Cite this Entry
“Perceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perceive. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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
Share