aperçu

noun

aper·çu ˌa-pər-ˈsü

ä-per-ˈsᵫ

plural aperçus ˌa-pər-ˈsüz

ä-per-ˈsᵫz

: a brief survey or sketch : outline

: an immediate impression

especially : insight sense 2

Did you know?

In French, aperçu is the past participle of the verb apercevoir ("to perceive" or "to comprehend"), which in turn comes from Latin percipere ("to perceive"). (The same verb also gave us apperceive, meaning "to have consciousness of oneself, and the noun apperception, meaning "introspective self-consciousness or "mental perception.") Aperçu in French is also a noun meaning "glimpse" or "outline, general idea." English speakers borrowed the noun aperçu, meaning and all, in the early 19th century.

Word History

Etymology

French, from aperçu, past participle of apercevoir to perceive, from Old French aperceivre, from a- (from Latin ad-) + perceivre to perceive — more at perceive

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of aperçu was in 1809

See more words from the same year