Definition of perceptiblenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective perceptible contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of perceptible are appreciable, palpable, ponderable, sensible, and tangible. While all these words mean "apprehensible as real or existent," perceptible applies to what can be discerned by the senses often to a minimal extent.

a perceptible difference in sound to a careful listener

In what contexts can appreciable take the place of perceptible?

The words appreciable and perceptible are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, appreciable applies to what is distinctly discernible by the senses or definitely measurable.

an appreciable increase in income

When can palpable be used instead of perceptible?

While in some cases nearly identical to perceptible, palpable applies either to what has physical substance or to what is obvious and unmistakable.

the tension in the air was almost palpable

When is ponderable a more appropriate choice than perceptible?

The meanings of ponderable and perceptible largely overlap; however, ponderable suggests having definitely measurable weight or importance.

exerted a ponderable influence on world events

Where would sensible be a reasonable alternative to perceptible?

In some situations, the words sensible and perceptible are roughly equivalent. However, sensible applies to whatever is clearly apprehended through the senses or impresses itself strongly on the mind.

an abrupt, sensible drop in temperature

When might tangible be a better fit than perceptible?

Although the words tangible and perceptible have much in common, tangible suggests what is capable of being handled or grasped both physically and mentally.

no tangible evidence of UFOs

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of perceptible This means that even in noisy environments, the signals remain clearly perceptible to the mics. New Atlas, 2 May 2026 Kerss explains that most of the colors in the northern lights aren’t perceptible to the human eye. Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026 An airport offers, if not exactly an equitable experience (there are Clear lines, lounge archipelagos), then at least a perceptible simulacrum of equality, in that everyone rides the same people movers past the same Cinnabons. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026 Her small shakes of her head are barely perceptible in her disdain. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for perceptible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perceptible
Adjective
  • The next hurdle for lifestyle influencers will be to make content that’s both useful and, crucially, distinguishable from what AI can do.
    Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 30 July 2026
  • Based on analyzing samples taken from hundreds of different mole rats, the team learned members of each colony carried a distinguishable chemical signature.
    Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
Adjective
  • That is the opportunity being lost, audible in a single sentence.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • The design could prove helpful in loud environments where an audible alarm might disappear into the background.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Adjective
  • Although the moon’s dark umbral shadow will miss North America, millions of people will still see the moon take a noticeable bite out of the sun.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Sodium-ion chemistry also performs well in cold weather, where conventional lithium-ion batteries often experience noticeable reductions in charging speed and driving range.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Across a pair of appearances Thursday at Fanatics Fest in New York there was no discernable tipping of the hand.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2026
  • This won’t always be the case, of course, and there will be occasions where a use-after-free error has no discernible impact.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Adjective
  • This is the first time that an AI system has detected a new abnormality in EKGs that appears correlated with cardiac risk and is detectable visually by a human physician.
    Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Some face up to 40 years for distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
    Renee Anderson, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Adjective
  • No appreciable glycemic improvement was observed in healthy normoglycemic populations, and there was no significant effect on body mass index (BMI).
    Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Perhaps driving them back-to-back would reveal no appreciable difference, but if the point was to imbue the C-HR with an eager quality, Toyota’s engineers succeeded at the task.
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 23 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Perceptible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perceptible. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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