1
Core quality
Able to be noticed, detected, seen, heard, or otherwise sensed.
Example
A slight but perceptible tremor passed through the floor.
perceptible
/pəˈseptəbəl/ · pur-SEP-tuh-buladjective
Able to be noticed, detected, seen, heard, or otherwise sensed.
Use perceptible to express this relationship precisely: able to be noticed, detected, seen, heard, or otherwise sensed.
What perceptible Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
The treatment produced no perceptible change in colour.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
The signal became perceptible only after the noise was filtered.
Use perceptible Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
A slight but perceptible tremor passed through the floor.
The treatment produced no perceptible change in colour.
The signal became perceptible only after the noise was filtered.
Precision Matters
Perceptible overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
perceptible
vs.Means able to be noticed, detected, seen, heard, or otherwise sensed.
imperceptible
Means impossible or extremely difficult to perceive.
perceptible
vs.Means able to be noticed, detected, seen, heard, or otherwise sensed.
obscure
Means not well known or difficult to understand.
perceptible
vs.Means able to be noticed, detected, seen, heard, or otherwise sensed.
indeterminate
Means not exactly known, established, fixed, or capable of being determined from the available information.
perceptible
vs.Means able to be noticed, detected, seen, heard, or otherwise sensed.
discernible
Means noticeable or capable of being perceived or distinguished.
Test perceptible in Context
The outline became just noticeable enough to detect.
1
After the image was enhanced, a faint but ___ outline appeared near its edge.