pə(r)ˈseptəbəl adjective
Etymology: Late Latin perceptibilis, from Latin perceptus (past participle of percipere to perceive) + -ibilis -ible — more at perceive
1. archaic : able to perceive : perceptive , sensitive
the soul … becomes more perceptible of happiness or misery — Thomas Green
2. : capable of being perceived : discernible , recognizable
rotating … discs, driven at speeds sufficiently high to eliminate all perceptible flicker — F.A.Geldard
something strange was in the air, perceptible to a little boy but utterly beyond his understanding — H.G.Wells
a perceptible trend … away from dairying — E.C.Higbee
Synonyms:
sensible , palpable , tangible , appreciable , ponderable : perceptible applies to that which may be discerned by the senses even to the smallest extent
out of the stillness, little scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasize themselves — Mark Twain
the traces left by ages of slaughter and pillage were still distinctly perceptible — T.B.Macaulay
or recognized by the intellect
greeted the idea with a perceptible lack of enthusiasm
sensible in its earlier senses applies to what is discerned by the senses as opposed to the intellect
our true ideas of sensible things do indeed copy them — William James
the distinction between some elements of subject matter as rational and others as sensible — John Dewey
palpable applies to that which has physical substance
touch beauty as though it were a palpable thing — W.S.Maugham
or is obvious or unmistakable
carry, besides their palpable meaning, another which is veiled and more spiritual — H.O.Taylor
tangible stresses tactile quality or utilitarian value
free negative electricity, released from dense matter, disconnected from atoms, and finer and subtler substance than any which is tangible — K.K.Darrow
a summer job at a national park offers many tangible advantages, such as fresh air and scenery
a cloud, a pillar of fire, a tangible physical something — Jack London
appreciable refers to that which is distinctly discernible especially by the senses, or definitely measurable
the temperature of even a single day plays an appreciable and measurable part in determining the general health of the community — Ellsworth Huntington
an appreciable pause fell … a pause that must have lasted fully a minute — Jack London
ponderable suggests especially what is bulky, massive, or of weighty importance
energy, at any rate kinetic energy, resists motion in the same way as ponderable masses — Albert Einstein & Leopold Infeld
ponderable and powerful reasons peculiarly his own for feeling as he did — Hervey Allen