1. The process, act, or faculty of perceiving.
2. The effect or product of perceiving.
3. Psychology.
   1. Recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli based chiefly on memory.
   2. The neurological processes by which such recognition and interpretation are effected.
4. 1. Insight, intuition, or knowledge gained by perceiving.
   2. The capacity for such insight.

[Middle English percepcioun, from Old French percepcion, from Latin perceptiō, perceptiōn-, from perceptus, past participle of percipere, to perceive. See perceive.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.