perception - Definition | Dictionary definition of perception

Definition of perception

Nouns

the representation of what is perceived; basic component in the formation of a concept

Synonyms:: percept, perceptual experience

Types:: show 8 types...; hide 8 types...; figure
a unitary percept having structure and coherence that is the object of attention and that stands out against a ground; ground
a relatively homogeneous percept extending back of the figure on which attention is focused; visual image, visual percept
a percept that arises from the eyes; an image in the visual system; eye candy
visual images that are pleasing to see but are intellectually undemanding; field, field of view
the area that is visible (as through an optical instrument); sight
an instance of visual perception; aspect, panorama, prospect, scene, view, vista
the visual percept of a region; field of regard, field of vision, visual field
all of the points of the physical environment that can be perceived by a stable eye at a given moment

Type of:: internal representation, mental representation, representation
a presentation to the mind in the form of an idea or image

a way of conceiving something

"Luther had a new perception of the Bible"

Type of:: conceptualisation, conceptuality, conceptualization
an elaborated concept

the process of perceiving

Types:: show 32 types...; hide 32 types...; constancy, perceptual constancy
(psychology) the tendency for perceived objects to give rise to very similar perceptual experiences in spite of wide variations in the conditions of observation; brightness constancy
the tendency for a visual object to be perceived as having the same brightness under widely different conditions of illumination; color constancy, colour constancy
the tendency for a color to look the same under widely different viewing conditions; shape constancy
the tendency to perceive the shape of a rigid object as constant despite differences in the viewing angle (and consequent differences in the shape of the pattern projected on the retina of the eye); size constancy
the tendency to perceive the veridical size of a familiar object despite differences in their distance (and consequent differences in the size of the pattern projected on the retina of the eye); detection, sensing
the perception that something has occurred or some state exists; beholding, seeing, visual perception
perception by means of the eyes; contrast
the perceptual effect of the juxtaposition of very different colors; face recognition
the visual perception of familiar faces; object recognition
the visual perception of familiar objects; visual space
the visual perception of space; fusion, optical fusion
the combining of images from the two eyes to form a single visual percept; auditory perception, sound perception
the perception of sound as a meaningful phenomenon; speech perception
the auditory perception (and comprehension) of speech; musical perception
the auditory perception of musical sounds; aesthesis, esthesis, sensation, sense datum, sense experience, sense impression
an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation; limen, threshold
the smallest detectable sensation; masking
the blocking of one sensation resulting from the presence of another sensation; vision, visual sensation
the perceptual experience of seeing; odor, odour, olfactory perception, olfactory sensation, smell
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form; gustatory perception, gustatory sensation, taste, taste perception, taste sensation
the sensation that results when taste buds in the tongue and throat convey information about the chemical composition of a soluble stimulus; auditory sensation, sound
the subjective sensation of hearing something; synaesthesia, synesthesia
a sensation that normally occurs in one sense modality occurs when another modality is stimulated; somaesthesia, somatesthesia, somatic sensation, somesthesia
the perception of tactual or proprioceptive or gut sensations; feeling
a physical sensation that you experience; prickling, tingle, tingling
a somatic sensation as from many tiny prickles; pressure, pressure sensation
the somatic sensation that results from applying force to an area of skin; pain, pain sensation, painful sensation
a somatic sensation of acute discomfort; temperature
the somatic sensation of cold or heat; feeling, tactile sensation, tactual sensation, touch, touch sensation
the sensation produced by pressure receptors in the skin; creepiness
an uneasy sensation as of insects creeping on your skin; cutaneous sensation, haptic sensation, skin sensation
a sensation localized on the skin

Type of:: basic cognitive process
cognitive processes involved in obtaining and storing knowledge

knowledge gained by perceiving

"a man admired for the depth of his perception"

Types:: discernment, perceptiveness
perception of that which is obscure; insight, penetration
clear or deep perception of a situation; cognizance
range or scope of what is perceived

Type of:: cognition, knowledge, noesis
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

becoming aware of something via the senses

Synonyms:: sensing

Types:: show 19 types...; hide 19 types...; look, looking, looking at
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually; coup d'oeil, glance, glimpse
a quick look; scrutiny
a prolonged intense look; peek, peep
a secret look; squint
the act of squinting; looking with the eyes partly closed; stare
a fixed look with eyes open wide; evil eye
a look that is believed to have the power of inflicting harm; rubber-necking, sightseeing
going about to look at places of interest; observance, observation, watching
the act of observing; taking a patient look; lookout, outlook
the act of looking out; sight, survey, view
the act of looking or seeing or observing; dekko
British slang for a look; hearing, listening
the act of hearing attentively; auscultation
listening to sounds within the body (usually with a stethoscope); rehearing, relistening
the act of hearing again; lipreading
perceiving what a person is saying by observing the movements of the lips; taste, tasting
a kind of sensing; distinguishing substances by means of the taste buds; smell, smelling
the act of perceiving the odor of something; sniff, snuff
sensing an odor by inhaling through the nose