Perceive vs. Observe

(transitive) To become aware of, through the physical senses or by thinking; to see; to understand.

To obtain knowledge of through the senses; to receive impressions from by means of the bodily organs; to take cognizance of the existence, character, or identity of, by means of the senses; to see, hear, or feel; as, to perceive a distant ship; to perceive a discord.

To take intellectual cognizance of; to apprehend by the mind; to be convinced of by direct intuition; to note; to remark; to discern; to see; to understand.

Example: ‘Jesus perceived their wickedness.’; ‘You may, fair lady,Perceive I speak sincerely.’; ‘Till we ourselves see it with our own eyes, and perceive it by our own understandings, we are still in the dark.’;

To be affected of influented by.

Example: ‘The upper regions of the air perceive the collection of the matter of tempests before the air here below.’;

to become aware of through the senses;

Example: ‘I could perceive the ship coming over the horizon’;

become conscious of;

Example: ‘She finally perceived the futility of her protest’;

become aware or conscious of (something); come to realize or understand

Example: ‘he was quick to perceive that there was little future in such arguments’; ‘his mouth fell open as he perceived the truth’;

become aware of (something) by the use of one of the senses, especially that of sight

Example: ‘he perceived the faintest of flushes creeping up her neck’;

interpret or regard (someone or something) in a particular way

Example: ‘if Guy does not perceive himself as disabled, nobody else should’; ‘some geographers perceive hydrology to be a separate field of scientific enquiry’;

(transitive) To notice or view, especially carefully or with attention to detail.

Example: ‘From this vantage point we can observe the behavior of the animals in their natural habitat.’;

(transitive) To follow or obey the custom, practice, or rules (especially of a religion).

Example: ‘Please observe all posted speed limits.’;

(intransitive) To comment on something; to make an observation.

Example: ‘The senator observed that the bill would be detrimental to his constituents.’;

To take notice of by appropriate conduct; to conform one's action or practice to; to keep; to heed; to obey; to comply with; as, to observe rules or commands; to observe civility.

Example: ‘Ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread.’; ‘He wolde no such cursedness observe.’; ‘Must I budge? Must I observe you?’; ‘With solemn purpose to observeImmutably his sovereign will.’;

To be on the watch respecting; to pay attention to; to notice with care; to see; to perceive; to notice; to discover; as, to observe an eclipse; to observe the color or fashion of a dress; to observe the movements of an army; to observe an accident.

To express as what has been noticed; to utter as a remark; to say in a casual or incidental way; to remark.

To take notice; to give attention to what one sees or hears; to attend.

To make a remark; to comment; to make an observation{3}; - generally with on or upon.

Example: ‘I have barely quoted . . . without observing upon it.’;

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of;

Example: ‘She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water’; ‘We found traces of lead in the paint’;

make mention of;

Example: ‘She observed that his presentation took up too much time’; ‘They noted that it was a fine day to go sailing’;

observe with care or pay close attention to;

Example: ‘Take note of this chemical reaction’;

watch attentively;

Example: ‘Please observe the reaction of these two chemicals’;

show respect towards;

Example: ‘honor your parents!’;

celebrate, as of holidays or rites;

Example: ‘Keep the commandments’; ‘celebrate Christmas’; ‘Observe Yom Kippur’;

follow with the eyes or the mind;

Example: ‘Keep an eye on the baby, please!’; ‘The world is watching Sarajevo’; ‘She followed the men with the binoculars’;

observe correctly or closely;

Example: ‘The pianist kept time with the metronome’; ‘keep count’; ‘I cannot keep track of all my employees’;

conform one's action or practice to;

Example: ‘keep appointments’; ‘she never keeps her promises’; ‘We kept to the original conditions of the contract’;

notice or perceive (something) and register it as being significant

Example: ‘she observed that all the chairs were already occupied’;

watch (someone or something) carefully and attentively

Example: ‘Rob stood in the hallway, from where he could observe the happenings on the street’;

take note of or detect (something) in the course of a scientific study

Example: ‘the behaviour observed in groups of chimpanzees’;

make a remark

Example: ‘‘It's chilly,’ she observed’; ‘a stockbroker once observed that dealers live and work in hell’;

fulfil or comply with (a social, legal, ethical, or religious obligation)

Example: ‘a tribunal must observe the principles of natural justice’;

maintain (silence) in compliance with a rule or custom, or temporarily as a mark of respect

Example: ‘a minute's silence will be observed’;

perform or take part in (a rite or ceremony)

Example: ‘relations gather to observe the funeral rites’;

celebrate or acknowledge (an anniversary)

Example: ‘they observed the one-year anniversary of the flood’;