perception

B2 Topic:Mind & Cognition

US /pɚˈsɛpʃ(ə)n/ UK /pəˈsɛpʃn̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #9483

Meanings

1

noun
The way you understand or think about something.

My perception of the company changed after I started working there.
2

noun
The ability to notice or become aware of things through the senses.

Loud noise can affect your perception of distance.
3

noun
The process by which the brain organizes and interprets what the senses take in.

Colour perception varies slightly from person to person.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · the ability to notice or... sensing

3 noun · the process by which the... perceptperceptual experience

More ken

Word family

Forms perceptions

Derived forms afterperceptionchemoperceptionchronoceptiondisperceptiongraviperceptionheteroperceptionimperceptionmagnetoperceptionmechanoperceptionmetaperceptionmisperceptionnociperception

Related forms perceive percept perceptual

Etymology

From Middle English percepcioun, from Middle French percepcion, from Latin perceptiō (“a receiving or collecting, perception, comprehension”), from perceptus (“perceived, observed”), perfect passive participle of percipiō (“to perceive, observe”); see perceive.

*keh₂p- Proto-Indo-European percepcioun Middle English percepcion Middle French perceptiō Latin

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# perception

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /pɚˈsɛpʃ(ə)n/
**IPA (UK):** /pəˈsɛpʃn̩/
**Frequency rank:** 9483

## Meanings
1. The way you understand or think about something.
2. The ability to notice or become aware of things through the senses.
3. The process by which the brain organizes and interprets what the senses take in.

## Examples
- My perception of the company changed after I started working there.
- Loud noise can affect your perception of distance.
- Colour perception varies slightly from person to person.

## Synonyms
- ken

## Derived Forms
- afterperception
- chemoperception
- chronoception
- disperception
- graviperception
- heteroperception
- imperception
- magnetoperception
- mechanoperception
- metaperception
- misperception
- nociperception

## Related Forms
- perceive
- percept
- perceptual

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *keh₂p-
- Root: percepcioun
- Root: percepcion
- Root: perceptiō

## Etymology
From Middle English percepcioun, from Middle French percepcion, from Latin perceptiō (“a receiving or collecting, perception, comprehension”), from perceptus (“perceived, observed”), perfect passive participle of percipiō (“to perceive, observe”); see perceive.

## AI Etymology
Perception comes from Middle English percepcioun, from Middle French percepcion, from Latin perceptiō (“a receiving or collecting, perception, comprehension”), from perceptus (“perceived, observed”), perfect passive participle of percipiō (“to perceive, observe”); see perceive. In present-day English it covers the way you understand or think about something, the ability to notice or become aware of things through the senses, and the process by which the brain organizes and interprets what the senses take in. The wider family includes derived forms such as afterperception, chemoperception, chronoception, disperception, graviperception and related forms such as perceive, percept, perceptual.

## Topics
- Mind & Cognition
- Senses & Perception

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perception

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