apperception

noun

ap·​per·​cep·​tion ˌa-pər-ˈsep-shən 

1

: introspective self-consciousness

2

: mental perception

especially : the process of understanding something perceived in terms of previous experience

apperceptive

ˌa-pər-ˈsep-tiv 

adjective

Examples of apperception in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Somehow, surely, given the importance of the personages, word got out about the Laffer curve meeting, and the markets, in their remarkable pan-human powers of apperception, digested that changes in the tax-rate cut direction were bound to happen. —Brian Domitrovic, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

The apperception of the markets somehow identified that Americans were not going to continue to take it. —Brian Domitrovic, Forbes, 30 Apr. 2022

Word History

Etymology

French aperception, from apercevoir, from Middle French aperceivre, from a- (from Latin ad-) + perceivre to perceive

First Known Use

1753, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing apperception

• thematic apperception test

Medical Definition

apperception

noun

ap·​per·​cep·​tion -ˈsep-shən 

: mental perception

especially : the process of understanding something perceived in terms of previous experience compare assimilation sense 3

apperceptive

-ˈsep-tiv 

adjective