perceptive
adjective
per·cep·tive
pər-ˈsep-tiv 
1
: responsive to sensory stimuli : discerning
a perceptive eye
2
a
: capable of or exhibiting keen perception : observant
a perceptive scholar
b
: characterized by sympathetic understanding or insight
Examples of perceptive in a Sentence
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
His crush, Mena Suvari’s spiky, perceptive Dora, is involved with one of her professors (a weaselly Greg Kinnear).
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 July 2025
However, throughout the history of Iranian cinema, perceptive filmmakers have sought to challenge the dominant masculine structure that governs visual language.
—Ali Farahmand, IndieWire, 8 July 2025
This time, however, bromance takes a backseat narratively to their characters’ respective marital entanglements, and the results are less fresh and less perceptive.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 2025
Back in his day, our perceptive friend Durkheim, the sociologist, described a growing purposelessness that people felt in the wake of industrialism, which pulled us off the land and into factories.
—Florence Williams, Outside Online, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for perceptive
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Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 July 2025
However, throughout the history of Iranian cinema, perceptive filmmakers have sought to challenge the dominant masculine structure that governs visual language.
—Ali Farahmand, IndieWire, 8 July 2025
This time, however, bromance takes a backseat narratively to their characters’ respective marital entanglements, and the results are less fresh and less perceptive.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 2025
Back in his day, our perceptive friend Durkheim, the sociologist, described a growing purposelessness that people felt in the wake of industrialism, which pulled us off the land and into factories.
—Florence Williams, Outside Online, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for perceptive
Cite this Entry
“Perceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perceptive. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perceptive
adjective
per·cep·tive
pər-ˈsep-tiv
: capable of or showing a keen ability to observe and understand
Medical Definition
perceptive
adjective
per·cep·tive
pər-ˈsep-tiv
: responsive to sensory stimulus
a perceptive eye
perceptively
adverb
perceptiveness
noun
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