Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense discerns, present participle discerning, past tense, past participle discerned
1. verb
If you can discern something, you are aware of it and know what it is.
[formal]
You need a long series of data to be able to discern such a trend. [VERB noun]
It was hard to discern why this was happening. [VERB wh]
[Also VERB that]
2. verb
If you can discern something, you can just see it, but not clearly.
[formal]
Below the bridge we could just discern a narrow, weedy ditch. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: see, perceive, make out, notice More Synonyms of discern
More Synonyms of discern
discern in British English
(dɪˈsɜːn)
verb
1. (transitive)
to recognize or perceive clearly
2.
to recognize or perceive (differences)
Derived forms
discerner (disˈcerner)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French discerner, from Latin discernere to divide, from dis-1 (apart) + cernere to separate
discern in American English
(dɪˈsɜrn; dɪˈzɜrn)
verb transitive
1.
to separate (a thing) mentally from another or others; recognize as separate or different
2.
to perceive or recognize; make out clearly
verb intransitive
3.
to perceive or recognize the difference
SYNONYMY NOTE: discern implies a making out or recognizing of something visually or mentally [to discern one's motives]; perceive implies recognition by means of any of the senses, and, with reference to mentalapprehension, often implies keen understanding or insight [to perceive a change in attitude]; distinguish, in this connection, implies a perceiving clearly or distinctly by sight, hearing,etc. [he distinguished the voices of men down the hall]; observe, notice both connote some measure of attentiveness and usually suggest use of the sense ofsight [to observe an eclipse, to notice a sign]
Derived forms
discernible (disˈcernible)
adjective
discernibly (disˈcernibly)
adverb
Word origin
ME discernen < OFr discerner < L discernere < dis-, apart + cernere, to separate: see harvest
Examples of 'discern' in a sentence
discern
This sometimes means clutching at the slightest indicators to discern a trend.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The revamp might look great to our discerning eyes.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
We discern much about others just by looking at them.
Christianity Today (2000)
Mutual friends find it hard to discern differences between the two men.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
All this makes it almost impossible to discern the underlying trends in the industry.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
His droll humour and discerning eye excite the whole.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He rarely turned work down and was not overly discerning about the quality of the productions in which he appeared.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The opportunity to invest in a growth story will be welcomed but they will be very discerning about who to back.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Once a pattern is established, the trends can be discerned.
Tom Cannon Basic Marketing. Principles and Practice (1986)
My eyes can discern ten million colours, it seems.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
And in this charcoal ash, trained eyes can discern lots of tiny fragments of scorched grass.
Oliver Morton Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet (2007)
I dare say you can with your discerning eye.
John Cornwell Seminary Boy (2006)
I struggled to discern a trend.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
For 1,900 a year discerning art fans will be granted special access to the most sought-after shows around the world.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
I doubt it, but we could probably discern broad differences between the rural populations of eastern and western Britain.
Francis Pryor BRITAIN BC: Life In Britain and Ireland before the Romans (2003)
If forces all recorded thefts in the same way, we'd be able to discern trends in breeds and locations at risk and be able to warn owners.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
discern
British English: discern VERB
If you can discern something, you are aware of it and know what it is.
You need a long series of data to be able to discern such a trend.
American English: discern
Brazilian Portuguese: perceber
Chinese: 认识
European Spanish: percibir
French: discerner
German: erkennen
Italian: percepire
Japanese: 認識する
Korean: 파악하다
European Portuguese: perceber
Latin American Spanish: percibir
Chinese translation of 'discern'
discern
(dɪˈsəːn) (frm)
vt
(= see) 隐(隱)约(約)看见(見) (yǐnyuē kànjiàn)
(= identify) 看出 (kànchū)
1 (verb)
Definition
to see or be aware of (something) clearly
We've been trying to discern a pattern in his behaviour.
Synonyms
distinguish
Could he distinguish right from wrong?
determine
The investigation will determine what really happened.
detect
He could detect a certain sadness in her face.
discriminate
He is incapable of discriminating between a good idea and a bad one.
pick out
differentiate
He cannot differentiate between his imagination and the real world.
make a distinction
2 (verb)
Definition
to see or be aware of (something) clearly
Under the bridge we could just discern a shadowy figure.
Synonyms
see
I saw a man making his way towards me.
perceive
I perceived a number of changes.
make out
notice
People should not hesitate to contact the police if they notice anything suspicious.
observe
In 1664 Hooke observed a reddish spot on the surface of the planet.
recognize
I recognize my own shortcomings.
behold (archaic, literary)
The garden was a joy to behold.
catch sight of
suss (out) (slang)
espy
She espied him in the far distance.
descry
From the top of the hill I descried a solitary rider.