1
as in sensing
to have a vague awareness of
I thought I perceived a problem, but I wasn't sure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
perceived that it was going to be a nice day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of
I perceive your point, but I still disagree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perceiving
Abraham Lincoln was wary of the doctrine, perceiving that any such notion of divine inevitability could be used to justify land grabs and war.
—
Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Kepler devoted much of his career to figuring out optics, and was arguably the first scientific thinker to articulate the difference between seeing and perceiving.
—Rebecca Boyle, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
The newly-sighted get better at perceiving differences in color, shape, and size — even if they were treated for their congenital cataracts after years of blindness—but not so much at spotting differences in shading or contours.
—Sachin Rawat, Big Think, 2 Mar. 2026
Reading, a way of perceiving ideas through the eyes of others, increases empathy and community, noted one professor.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2026
But that would depend on the animals perceiving the temperature shift—and having the capacity to do things differently.
—Elizabeth Preston, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
The model is better than predecessors at creating spreadsheets, building presentations, perceiving images, writing code and understanding long context, OpenAI said.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Shifting gears, rather than perceiving AI as a competitor, budding therapists would be wise to perceive AI as a collaborator.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
In 2024, Nepal ranked 107th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, with 84% of people perceiving government corruption to be a major problem.
—Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025
Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Kepler devoted much of his career to figuring out optics, and was arguably the first scientific thinker to articulate the difference between seeing and perceiving.
—Rebecca Boyle, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
The newly-sighted get better at perceiving differences in color, shape, and size — even if they were treated for their congenital cataracts after years of blindness—but not so much at spotting differences in shading or contours.
—Sachin Rawat, Big Think, 2 Mar. 2026
Reading, a way of perceiving ideas through the eyes of others, increases empathy and community, noted one professor.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2026
But that would depend on the animals perceiving the temperature shift—and having the capacity to do things differently.
—Elizabeth Preston, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
The model is better than predecessors at creating spreadsheets, building presentations, perceiving images, writing code and understanding long context, OpenAI said.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Shifting gears, rather than perceiving AI as a competitor, budding therapists would be wise to perceive AI as a collaborator.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
In 2024, Nepal ranked 107th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, with 84% of people perceiving government corruption to be a major problem.
—Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perceiving
Verb
-
Adaptive headlights, alloy wheels, panorama moon roof, power lift gate and trunk release, power folding exterior mirrors and rain-sensing windshield wipers are also standard.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
-
These systems could overwhelm enemy defenses or give wide-area sensing across large regions.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
And without really noticing it, the urgency that once existed at the beginning of your search quietly fades away.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
-
After noticing that one of the items purchased was the entire Lip Critic discography on Bandcamp, Kaser was later confronted by the fan at one of their shows, who claimed to have decoded hidden messages in their music.—
Alastair Shuttleworth,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Raman and Pratt are right in deeming Bass the old guard of a beat-up city — but the old guard didn’t get there without knowing how to win.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Instead, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division did little to confront the problem despite knowing about it for years, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Associated Press and FRONTLINE (PBS) has found.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Dozens of armed federal agents and LAPD officers were seeing raiding several storefronts near the Alvarado corridor on Wednesday afternoon.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
Correa was on crutches and in a walking boot Wednesday morning at the ballpark after seeing a foot specialist.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Brianna, spotting her former boyfriend, Duncan (Ben Marshall), attempted to brush off the awkward encounter.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
-
Scott recalled sitting in the waiting room and spotting a producer from the earlier film nearby, prompting him to try to avoid being recognized.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The lack of physical evidence presents significant challenges for the field of paleontology in understanding species diversification at specific times and places on Earth.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
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In practice, this looks like a provider not only asking about symptoms, but understanding context.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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With companies feeling the squeeze of high rates and weaker consumption, more workers were going unpaid, getting furloughed, or seeing their hours cut.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
-
But fertilizer, farmers are feeling it.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
And yes, many object to what the church teaches regarding women’s health and place in a family.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
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Secretary of the Commission Commodity Futures Trading Commission, regarding prediction markets, such as Kalshi and Polymarket, and their impact on the NBA.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perceiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perceiving. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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