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Added 9 October 2026

percept

/ˈpɜːsɛpt/ noun

Latin root: perceptum Coined: 1788, by Sir William Hamilton Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about percept at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The representation of what is perceived; basic component in the formation of a concept.

Origin

A learned borrowing, after concept, from Classical Latin perceptum (“a proposition, principle, general idea”), from the neuter of perceptus (“perceived”), the past participle of percipiō (“to perceive”); see perceive. Coined by the Scottish metaphysician Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet (1788–1856), in Lectures on Metaphysics and Logic, published posthumously in 1860 (see the quotation).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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