n.
Pronunciation: p ə r- ' sep-sh ə n
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin perception-, perceptio act of perceiving, from percipere
Date: 14th century
1 a : a result of perceiving : OBSERVATION b : a mental image : CONCEPT
2 obsolete : CONSCIOUSNESS
3 a : awareness of the elements of environment through physical sensation <color perception > b : physical sensation interpreted in the light of experience
4 a : quick, acute, and intuitive cognition : APPRECIATION b : a capacity for comprehension
synonyms see DISCERNMENT
– per · cep · tion · al \ -shn ə l, -sh ə -n ə l \ adjective