percipient

[ per-sip-ee-uhnt ]

adjective

1. perceiving or capable of perceiving.
2. having perception; discerning; discriminating:

   a percipient choice of wines.

noun

1. a person or thing that perceives.

percipient

/ pəˈsɪpɪənt /

adjective

1. able to perceive
2. perceptive

noun

1. a person or thing that perceives

Derived Forms

• perˈcipiently, adverb
• perˈcipience, noun

Other Words From

• per·cipi·ence per·cipi·en·cy noun
• nonper·cipi·ence noun
• nonper·cipi·en·cy noun
• nonper·cipi·ent adjective
• unper·cipi·ent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of percipient¹

1655–65; < Latin percipient- (stem of percipiēns ) present participle of percipere to take in, equivalent to per- per- + -cipi- combining form of present stem of capere to take + -ent- -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of percipient¹

C17: from Latin percipiens observing, from percipere to grasp; see perceive

Example Sentences

It’s fun wordplay with a percipient message, but fans might be further impressed to know she wrote and recorded the song extemporaneously in a single take, sitting in a studio chair while eight months pregnant.

From Washington Post

Sunak’s earlier warnings against Truss’s economic policies have proven percipient — and may ease his pathway to victory this time around.

From New York Times

The new filing from his attorney Greg Smith says the “mayor is a key percipient witness who has personal factual information” to the officer’s case.

From Los Angeles Times

On Wednesday, Lacey’s office said prosecutors in recent weeks had zeroed in on cases in which Shaw and Coblentz were the “sole percipient witnesses.”

From Los Angeles Times

In a single conversation, he can go from tearful to introspective to thoughtful to percipient to maniacally competitive and full of trash talk.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• clear-cut
• consistent
• credible
• judicious
• justifiable
• logical
• plausible
• rational
• reasoned
• sane
• sensible
• sober
• thoughtful
• wise