discernmentn.
/dᵻˈsəːnm(ə)nt/, U.S. /dəˈsərnm(ə)nt/ 1. The action or faculty of perceiving or noting a distinction between things; discrimination, differentiation; an instance of this. Chiefly with between, of.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > relationship > difference > [noun]
diversitya1340
difference1340
variancec1374
distancea1382
unlikenessa1387
variationc1405
discrepation?a1425
distinction1435
severaltyc1449
unlikelinessc1450
dissemblance1463
unlikelihood1483
alteritya1500
indifferencec1503
discrepancea1522
dissimilitude1532
differency1542
variety1552
discernment1570
disparitya1575
discrepancy1579
otherness1587
discernance1592
imparity1608
disanalogy1610
disresemblance1622
dislikeness1623
diff1624
inconformity1625
irresemblance1628
variousness1628
odds1642
disparation1654
aliety1656
disparility1656
disparateness1659
severality1664
nonconformity1672
unconformableness1712
dissimilarity1715
differentness1727
differ1787
allogeneitya1834
otherwiseness1890
otherliness1937
diversion-
the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > discernment, discrimination > [noun] > faculty of
shedc1000
discretionc1384
tastea1400
discernment1570
distinction1609
distinguishment1642
discrimination1764
1570 A. Golding tr. D. Chytræus Postil 220 The authour and preseruer of the true doctrine concerning God, in the publike ministerie, and the shewer of the true interpretation and discernement of all sectes and opinions.
1625 A. Day Eng. Secretorie (new ed.) ii. sig. R8 But that touching the difference of counsels, or tender of his life, should make a discernement.
1648 W. Montagu Miscellanea Spiritualia x. §4 111 It is not practicable, to frame rules for the discernment between due praises and flatteries.
1757 Monitor 25 June Evil counsellors have robbed a king and his kingdom of that wisdom and equity, the discernment between truth and falshood.
1798 Monthly Mag. Mar. 169/2 Children have almost an intuitive discernment between the maxims you bring forward for their use, and those by which you direct your own conduct.
1844 W. G. Ward Ideal Christian Church v. 227 The..direction given by our Lord Himself for the discernment of truth from falsehood.
1921 Anglican Theol. Rev. Dec. 185 The prophet's phraseology..shows that a discernment between the righteous and the wicked took place before the future time of which he is writing.
1973 New Scientist 2 Aug. 285/1 Does it [sc. education] lead to tough-mindedness, discrimination between reality and wishful-thinking, discernment of fact from desire?
2007 Sunday Age (Melbourne) (Nexis) 4 Feb. 18 The relationship of respect owed to another requires clear discernment between a person's wants and their interests.
2. The action or process of discerning or perceiving by means of the senses, esp. by sight; an instance of this.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > seeing or looking > [noun]
eyesenea1225
lookinga1225
sight1297
eyesight?c1335
seeing1372
view?c1475
vision1493
speculation1509
discernment1614
ken1667
outsight1681
1614 T. Jackson Third Bk. Comm. Apostles Creede iv. v. 283 The visible churches declaration is no lesse necessary, then light to discernment of colours.
1654 W. Charleton Physiologia Epicuro-Gassendo-Charltoniana xiii. 319 Belowe the discernment of the acutest sight, though advantaged by the best Microscope.
1710 M. Beare Sensorium 2 To render our Sight perfect, and to remove all Impediments which might obstruct its Vision or any ways hinder its clear Discernments.
1727 P. Longueville Hermit 6 Being come within reach of plain Discernment.
1768 A. Tucker Light of Nature Pursued I. i. 16 When the nightingale warbles, the sound reaches our ears, and passing thro' the auditory nerves, exhibits an idea affecting us with the discernment of her music.
1821 Q. Jrnl. Sci. & Arts Jan. 398 In the healthy state of the ear there seems no limit to the discernment of low sounds.
1843 W. Percivall Hippopathology III. xvii. 105 A cataract, consisting in a white speck of the magnitude of a millet seed, in the very centre of the lens, and which was by no means easy of discernment.
1922 O. Wister Neighbours Henceforth xiv. 154 Cruel shapes grew gentle in the vagueness, standing fragments softened, smaller fragments melted away; until discernment of our road and what lay to its left and right, ended.
1954 Food Technol. 8 527 (heading) Discernment of primary tastes in water solution.
2002 Trans. Royal Hist. Soc. 12 387 The experience of shopping..was bound with up the sensory discernment: sight, touch and even smell were important means of gauging first hand the quality of the goods on offer.
3.
a. The action or process of discerning or perceiving by means of the intellect; intellectual perception or apprehension; an instance of this.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > discernment, discrimination > [noun] > action of
distinctiona1340
division?c1425
decerninga1535
dignotion1578
differencing1598
discern1599
discernment1615
discrimination1621
refinement1712
differentiation1872
distinguishing1882
differentiating1887
1615 T. Jackson Justifying Faith i. i. 5 Supernaturall faith we..suppose to be more necessary to the right discernment of matters spirituall then an immortall soule for the apprehension of things eternall.
1689 J. Wildman Good Advice in Coll. Scarce & Valuable Tracts (1748) II. 340 Leading me to a right Discernment of the present Condition into which we are now brought.
1726 Bp. J. Butler 15 Serm. xiii. 259 Reason tends to and rests in the Discernment of Truth.
1784 J. Ryland Life Alfred the Great 1 Ethelwulf..sent his youngest son Alfred..to receive confirmation..from the hand of the Pope: whether moved to it..by admonitions from heaven, or from his discernment of superior genius in the child.
1875 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) IV. 277 The savage..has a quicker discernment of the track than the civilized man.
1882 F. W. Farrar Early Days Christianity II. 536 A power of critical discernment.
1918 68th Meeting Pennsylvania State Educ. Assoc. 1917 224/1 This discernment of what is occurring in another's mind, like all forms of sympathy, is not an easy task.
1987 Isis 78 631/1 A concentration on particulars that led to a discernment of underlying general patterns.
2005 G. S. Casper & R. Hendricks in M. Lannoo Amphibian Declines 540/3 Frog populations fluctuate widely..making the discernment of overall trends problematic.
b. The faculty or power of discerning or understanding clearly; perspicacity, insight; good judgement. Now frequently with implication of discrimination, refinement, or good taste.In early use also as a count noun.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > [noun]
doomc950
redeOE
lookingc1300
assizec1314
judging1357
definitionc1384
man's dayc1384
termination1395
discretiona1400
discussiona1425
decidingc1443
judicial1447
decisionc1454
arbitry1489
determinationa1513
determining1530
decerninga1535
discuss1556
discussment1559
thought1579
decernment1586
arbitrage1601
dijudication1615
crisis1623
decidementa1640
determinatinga1640
discernment1646
syndication1650
judication1651
dijudicatinga1656
adjudicature1783
call1902
the mind > mental capacity > understanding > intelligence, cleverness > sharpness, shrewdness, insight > [noun]
sharpnessc897
yepshipc1000
insightc1175
yepleȝȝcc1175
yephedea1250
wit1297
fellnessa1382
policyc1440
discerningc1450
policec1450
inspectiona1527
perceivance1534
aptitude1548
sagacity1548
acuity?1549
nimbleness1561
acumen1579
seeing eye1579
esprit1591
acuteness1601
depth1605
penetration1605
knowingness1611
shrewdnessa1616
piercingnessa1628
discernment1646
sharpwittedness1647
nasuteness1660
arguteness1662
sagaciousness1678
perceptivity1700
keenness1707
cuteness1768
intuition1780
recollectedness1796
long-headedness1818
perceptiveness1823
kokum1848
incision1862
incisiveness1865
penetrativeness1873
flair1881
hard-boiledness1912
smart1964
spikiness1977
sus1979
1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica i. iii. 9 Things invisible, but unto intellectuall discernments . View more context for this quotation
1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 41. ⁋4 There does not need any great Discernment to judge which are which.
1781 E. Gibbon Decline & Fall II. xlvi. 726 His discernment was expressed in the choice of this important post.
1839 Champion & Weekly Herald 11 Aug. 5/5 We are only surprised that Mr. Balfe, who has had some experience, and does not lack discernment, should have put such a wretched affair upon the stage.
1875 H. E. Manning Internal Mission of Holy Ghost vii. 177 The eye of the soul acquires a discernment whereby some can instantly read the characters of others.
1928 Sat. Rev. 17 Nov. 649/1 I apologize to Messrs. Brown and Phillips for my lack of technical discernment.
1981 Times 15 Oct. 12/5 Men and women of taste and discernment who know a good thing when they see it.
2002 Observer (Nexis) 12 May (Food Monthly Suppl.) 12 Britain's growing discernment about Indian food has coincided with a deepening appreciation of the country.
c. The ability to make sound judgements in spiritual matters; the exercise of this ability; spiritual understanding or insight. spec. = discernment of spirits n. at Phrases. Sometimes more fully spiritual discernment.
ΚΠ
1678 J. Humfrey Peaceable Disquis. 15 The revelation which a man hath from without, and the understanding accordingly this receiving the Spirit by having the Scriptures, and judging all things by them, is one thing: and the revelation which he hath from within, and understanding the receiving the Spirit by the miraculous gift of discernment is another.
1701 N. Brady Serm. 5 This is a short description of that spiritual discernment, which the Apostle insinuates to be absolutely necessary, in order to our receiving and knowing the things of God's Spirit.
1753 J. Okeley tr. N. L. von Zinzendorf 21 Disc. upon Augsberg-Confession i. 17 The Gift of Discernment, which our Saviour will give them.
1849 G. B. Cheever Windings of River of Water of Life iv. xxviii. 327 This being led by the Spirit of God is the secret of all true spiritual discernment.
1865 S. Baring-Gould Post-Mediæval Preachers Intro. 6 We must acquire Discernment to judge,..how to give,..to whom to give,..what to give.
1903 Biblical World 21 400 The power to discriminate between the true and false prophecy..was left to the spiritual discernment of the people spoken to.
1961 Studies: Irish Q. Rev. 50 160 Clearly it is not something in the will alone; it involves discernment as well, the power to discern the Divine messenger and the Divine message.
1999 Friend 23 July 2/2 All Quakers, birthright or convinced, have chosen to be here. We have all..gone through the same discernment process, with the help of our Meeting, and become equal members.
2010 M. Comins Making Prayer Real i. 85 Discernment is a skill... We need to gain insight into whether a particular thought or image or feeling..is the result of a connection with God, or the product of our fear and neuroses.
d. The mental product or result of discerning; a perception; an intuitive insight or understanding.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > epistemology > [noun] > perception > that which is perceived
phenomenona1704
discernment1730
percepta1856
1730 T. Chubb Coll. of Tracts 387 The understanding is, by nature, confined to perceive and judge, as it does, it being impossible that contrary images or different discernments of the same thing should be impressed upon the mind at the same time.
1866 Evangelical Repository Mar. 202 The fundamental axioms of mathematical science are the intuitive discernments of reason.
1900 N. Amer. Rev. Oct. 556 His ethical discernments were especially acute.
1962 Amer. Sociol. Rev. 27 261/1 The present work is remarkable for the shrewd observations and penetrating discernments which it contains.
2002 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 20 Apr. 11 His book is too full of overstated, bland discernments.
Phrases
discernment of spirits n. the ability (envisaged either as a gift miraculously bestowed or as a skill acquired through experience) to determine whether the source and inspiration of a desire, action, experience, etc., is divine; the exercise of this ability, esp. in deciding on a course of action; cf. discerning of spirits n. at discerning n.1 Phrases.Frequently in allusion to, or in renderings of, 1 Corinthians 12:10. [After post-classical Latin discretio spirituum (Vulgate: 1 Corinthians 12:10), itself after Hellenistic Greek διακρίσεις πνευμάτων (New Testament). Compare French discernement des esprits (1581 or earlier).]
ΚΠ
1636 St Austin's Care for Dead 55 To one, quoth he, is giuen by the spirit the worde of Sapience, to an other is giuen, by the spirit the worde of knowlige,..to an other discernement of spirits.
1686 tr. D. Bouhours Life St. Ignatius i. 46 The Exercises which Ignatius compos'd at Manreza..adding to them divers Rules concerning Catholick Faith, Prayer, Alms deeds, Temperance, Scruples, and Discernment of spirits [Fr. le discernement des esprits].
1769 T. Secker Eight Charges 342 They had the Discernment of Spirits: and could say with Certainty, when Persons were penitent, and consequently forgiven, and when not.
1878 tr. J. B. Saint-Jure Spiritual Man i. iii. 77 We have now to treat of the discernment of spirits, that is to say, of being able to distinguish when our interior movements are inspired by God, when the devil is their source, and when they come from ourselves.
1909 Catholic Encycl. V. 28/2 The discernment of spirits may be obtained through study and reflexion.
1986 C. Koontz Connecting Creativity & Spirituality 29 Discernment of spirits enables us to become more conscious of both the feelings and thoughts that lead us to make the decisions we make.
2009 Representations 105 56 Visions, inspirations, ecstatic experiences that claimed to be valid readings of the scriptures in the context of medieval mysticism and that were evaluated based on the practice of the discernment of spirits.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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