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discern

verb
dis·​cern | \ di-ˈsÉ™rn How to pronounce discern (audio) , -ˈzÉ™rn How to pronounce discern (audio) \
discerned; discerning; discerns

Definition of discern

transitive verb

1a : to detect with the eyes discerned a figure approaching through the fog
b : to detect with senses other than vision discerned a strange odor
2 : to recognize or identify as separate and distinct : discriminate discern right from wrong
3 : to come to know or recognize mentally unable to discern his motives

intransitive verb

: to see or understand the difference
Other Words from discern Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about discern

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Other Words from discern

discerner noun

Examples of discern in a Sentence

A careful analysis of the "Nutrition Facts" panels might provide some guidance, but you would have to do a lot of math before you could discern the best choice. — David L. Katz, O, The Oprah Magazine, August 2008 The ability to discern value at a glimpse, to sift the useful out of the rejected with as little expenditure of energy as possible, is the great talent of the scavenger. — Matthew Power, Harper's, December 2006 Astronomers are delighted to have found 19 galaxies that appear to be bent out of shape. The distorted images are cosmic mirages, arcs or rings of light created when the gravity of a massive foreground object bends and magnifies the light from a galaxy lying behind it. Albert Einstein predicted the effect … in 1936, but telescopes at the time weren't powerful enough to discern it. — R. Cowen, Science News, 21 Jan. 2006 Despite the layers of ironic hesitation, the reader soon discerns that the emotions informing the book are raw and, more importantly, authentic. — Publishers Weekly, 13 Dec. 1999 The reasons behind this sudden change are difficult to discern. barely able to discern the garden gate through the mist
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Being able to discern between the two will make all the difference in establishing a championship DNA for your fantasy squad. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Fantasy Football: 32 sleepers and busts for the 2019 NFL season," 1 Sep. 2019 Scientists are working to discern how many of the fires are burning on the border of deforested land that had been previously cleared to make way for cattle grazing or growing crops, especially soybeans. — oregonlive.com, "What you need to know about the Amazon rainforest fires," 27 Aug. 2019 Air defenders must rely on other things, such identifying radar and other electromagnetic signals emanating from the target, to discern whether the blob is an enemy fighter, bomber, or even a commercial civilian aircraft. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "How Quantum Radar Could Completely Change Warfare," 26 Aug. 2019 For instance, the German team found traces of lead in the blank patch of papyrus and were able to discern faint, blurry characters. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Physicists discover hidden text in what was thought to be blank Egyptian papyri," 22 Aug. 2019 The system can even work on a forensic level too, perhaps to discern if a lightning strike may have started a wildfire. — Matt Simon, WIRED, "The Bonkers Tech That Detects Lightning 6,000 Miles Away," 16 Aug. 2019 Given access to information about campaign-finance expenditures, voters would be empowered to discern what constitutes unsavory politics and what does not. — Joe Lonsdale, National Review, "Regulating Speech Won’t Fix Our Politics," 12 Aug. 2019 As researchers rush to discern the imminent repercussions of these virtually indestructible plastic rafts on global ecosystems, others are turning to the past to explore whether this buoyant lifestyle is actually new. — Raleigh Mcelvery, Smithsonian, "Ancient Sea Life May Have Hitched Across Oceans on Giant Living Rafts," 12 Aug. 2019 Get our daily newsletter Since 1954, the Kruger has been the site of experiments in which plots of land have been burned at intervals, to discern the effects of fire on savannah ecology. — The Economist, "A tale of elephants, ants, trees and fire shows how complex nature is," 8 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'discern.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of discern

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

History and Etymology for discern

Middle English discernen "to discriminate, perceive rationally, see," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French discerner, borrowed from Latin discernere "to separate, divide off, distinguish," from dis- dis- + cernere "to sift, discern, decide, determine" — more at certain entry 1

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More Definitions for discern

discern

verb
dis·​cern | \ di-ˈsÉ™rn How to pronounce discern (audio) , -ˈzÉ™rn\
discerned; discerning

Kids Definition of discern

: to see, recognize, or understand something

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More from Merriam-Webster on discern

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with discern

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for discern

Spanish Central: Translation of discern

Nglish: Translation of discern for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of discern for Arabic Speakers

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