perceptive
/pɚˈsɛptɪv/adjective, noun
perceptive is spelled P-E-R-C-E-P-T-I-V-E: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 29,270th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, perceptive means “Having or showing keenness or sharpness of perception, insight, understanding, or intuition” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in perceptive?
| Letters | 10: P-E-R-C-E-P-T-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 29,270th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is perceptive?
Perceptive appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 29,270th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce perceptive?
- UK /pəˈsɛptɪv/
- US /pɚˈsɛptɪv/
Perceptive has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-perceptive.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with perceptive?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as perceptive from its last stressed vowel (/ɛptɪv/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of perceptive
- more perceptive comparative
- most perceptive superlative
- perceptives plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does perceptive mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having or showing keenness or sharpness of perception, insight, understanding, or intuition.
He is so perceptive when it comes to other people's feelings.
noun
- 1
A supposed organ of the brain, dealing with concrete observations of reality.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Perceptive in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense having or showing keenness of perception, insight, understanding, or intuition:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | perspicace, pertinent, perceptif |
| German | scharfsinnig, einfühlsam |
| Portuguese | perspicaz, perceptivo |
| Spanish | perspicaz |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does perceptive come from?
From Latin perceptīvus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).