To be percipient is to be perceptive. Both words come from the Latin root “percipere,” meaning “to receive, understand.” Over time, though, “perceptive” became the more commonly used adjective, and “percipient” was relegated mostly to philosophical discussions. Both refer to a person who has highly attuned senses, but the difference between the two words is nuanced. For example: “It was perceptive of you to notice Jim was missing. He was percipient to realize Pam didn’t want him here and he left.” In the first sentence, “perceptive” is about a physical thing; in the latter, “percipient” is applied to an emotional understanding.