perception

noun

pur-SEP-shuhn/pɚˈsɛpʃ(ə)n/UKpuh-SEP-shuhn/pəˈsɛpʃn̩/

4 meanings of perception

1
nouncountable or uncountable
Conscious understanding of something.
His perception of the situation shifted once the new evidence emerged.
Years of experience sharpened her perception of how markets behave.
Similarunderstanding, grasp, awareness, view, impression
Note
Here perception moves from the senses to the mind, and the Latin already allowed it: perceptiō also meant "comprehension," so this is no late stretch of the sensory meaning. It usually takes of (perception of time, of a situation). It also counts. A perception is one person's grasp of something, and perceptions can differ from one another or shift over time.
2
noununcountable
The process by which the mind organizes, identifies, and makes sense of information from the senses.
Visual perception lets the brain assemble separate light signals into a single image.
Damage to certain brain regions can disrupt perception even when the sense organs work fine.
Note
The noun behind perceive comes from Latin perceptiō, "a receiving or collecting," built on percipiō, "I perceive." That older picture still fits. The senses take things in, and perception is the collecting and sorting of what arrives. It names the process rather than the equipment, which is why it so often carries a word saying which channel is meant, as in visual perception.
3
noununcountable
The ability to see; eyesight.
The pilot's keen perception let her spot the distant aircraft before the instruments did.
Dim light reduces perception, making faraway objects hard to make out.
Similareyesight, sight, vision
4
noununcountable
Keenness or sharpness of insight; acuity.
The critic's perception cut through the novel's surface to its hidden flaws.
Long training gave the surgeon a perception fine enough to detect the slightest change in the tissue.
Similarinsight, acuity, discernment, acumen, sharpness

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English percepcioun, from Middle French percepcion, from Latin perceptiō ("a receiving or collecting, comprehension"), based on percipiō ("I perceive, observe").