perceptive

adjective

per·cep·tive pər-ˈsep-tiv

: responsive to sensory stimuli : discerning

a perceptive eye

: capable of or exhibiting keen perception : observant

a perceptive scholar

: characterized by sympathetic understanding or insight

perceptively adverb

perceptiveness noun

perceptivity

(ˌ)pər-ˌsep-ˈti-və-tē

noun

Example Sentences

He is a very perceptive young man. due to their ability to rotate their ears, cats are very perceptive when it comes to pinpointing the source of a sound

Recent Examples on the Web The perceptive Moon in your magnetic 8th house and the buoyant Sun in your 5th House of Play are shining a spotlight on the potential for financial gain in a hobby or pastime of yours.

Chicago Tribune, 29 Nov. 2022 Most organizations are one layer up as perceptive organizations.

Matt Mclarty, Quartz, 23 Nov. 2022 This wasn’t just confirmation that Mosley and Leonard are smart, perceptive players.

Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Nov. 2022 Those who are emotionally intelligent grow perceptive of how their actions — such as works of generosity — impact others.

Salina Jivani, Good Housekeeping, 10 Nov. 2022 Asian American students who see that the system didn’t work for them are very perceptive in recognizing that the system was never built for them.

Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 3 Nov. 2022 What’s especially fascinating is that sensitive mothers were more perceptive of positive emotion measured using images of adult strangers.

Jessica A. Stern, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2022 There’s value in being intuitive and perceptive about the things around you.

Ashley Oliver, refinery29.com, 11 Oct. 2022 Amazon has even accounted for the concern that its perceptive little disk might take note of nocturnal boffing.

WIRED, 29 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perceptive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.