Definition of perceptive

The word "perceptive" originates from the Latin word "perceptus," which means "caught" or "perceived." In medieval Latin, the term "perceptiva" referred to the action of grasping or capturing something mentally, which eventually evolved into the modern-day English word "perception" - the ability to interpret and understand sensory information. The prefix "per-," meaning "through" or "thoroughly," was added to the root word "cept" (meaning "to take" or "to receive") in Middle English to form "percept" in the 15th century. This new word could refer to any act of understanding or perception, such as grasping an idea or perceiving something clearly. In the 17th century, the word "perceptive" emerged as a derivative of "percept" and referred to someone who had a keen ability to perceive and interpret their environment. Today, it is used as an adjective to describe a person who has a remarkable ability to perceive, interpret, or understand things that others may not see or immediately grasp. In summary, the word "perceptive" originated from the Latin "perceptus" and evolved via the Middle English "percept" to describe an individual's ability to grasp or perceive something mentally.