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perception

perception

400 4.2
A way of understanding or judging something
  • noun
  • /pərˈsɛpʃən/
translation icon : percepción
  • Your happiness and positive perception of me is vital to my existence.
  • public perception
  • shape perceptions
  • influence perceptions

I think that your perception can be reality.

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Examples

  • We need to change the perception that they have momentum.

  • How can we, my friends, shape our perceptions to change the world?

  • So now Trump is trying to change that perception with some fresh blood.

  • Yet we still have this perception that more is going to be better.

  • Their songs must have altered my perception of time.

  • Larger numbers indicate a more positive perception of the presence of that element in the environment.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The frustration was based on my perception of whatever their reaction was.

  • So why do people have this perception of the Epicureans?

  • Anorexia has more to do with an individual's perception of themselves than what is actually observable.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The perception of climate change varies greatly depending on people's backgrounds and beliefs.

Synonyms

feeling
vsperception
1.0

A natural ability to understand or do something

is a considered way of understanding not mainly intuition based
perspective
vsperception
997 4.1

A way of thinking shaped by your beliefs or experiences

is a general way of understanding not only belief influenced
understanding
vsperception
871 1.1

The ability to know what something means

is a particular interpretive view rather than a cognitive ability
interpretation
vsperception
314 4.4

An explanation of what something means

is a personal view rather than a systematic explanation
sight
vsperception
174 4.1

The way someone thinks about or judges something

is a broader interpretive view rather than this individual judgement
construal
vsperception
9.6

A way of understanding the meaning of something

is a general way of understanding rather than a technical analysis

Antonyms

When someone does not understand something correctly and this causes a problem

Compounds

A supposed ability to know things without using the normal senses

auditory perception
  • Specialized
1 4.5

The ability to hear and understand sounds

musical perception
  • Specialized
5.3

The ability to hear and understand musical sounds like pitch and rhythm

gustatory perception
  • Specialized
7.9

The sense of taste when taste buds detect chemicals in the mouth

olfactory perception
  • Specialized
6.6

The ability to notice and recognize smells with your nose

taste perception
  • Specialized
3.9

Ability to notice and understand flavors in the mouth from food and drink

touch perception
  • Specialized
4.5

Ability to feel pressure, heat, or pain on the skin

sound perception
  • Specialized
5.6

The ability to hear and understand sounds around you

speech perception
  • Specialized
5.3

The way the brain hears and understands spoken words

subliminal perception
  • Specialized
8.3

Noticing and reacting to pictures or sounds without being aware of them

The ability to see and understand what you look at

visual perception
  • Specialized
5.0

A computer or robot's ability to see and understand images from cameras

How Certain

conviction
258 4.5
belief
1.1
perception
400 4.2
view
1.5
impression
777 3.1

Surface Forms

perception singular
perceptions plural

Morphology

perception = perceive (transparent) = percept + tion

The noun is formed from 'perceive' and denotes an instance or way of perceiving, which is a predictable derivation.

Etymology

Perception comes from Latin capere 'to take', the same root as the common word capture. A helpful image is 'taking' an idea into your mind, so your personal way of 'taking' something becomes your view or understanding. So a perception is a particular way you understand or see a situation.