discerned; discerning; discerns
1
a
: 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
: to see or understand the difference
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
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
Recent Examples on the Web
According to a police report, Justin Pfeifer texted his friend Marshall about six weeks before that, trying to discern the make of Mulligan’s car.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2025
And scientists will be able to discern these ice spectra with unprecedented clarity thanks to SPHEREx’s observations.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2025
The challenge will be to read between the lines to discern what’s smoke and what’s real.
—Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Young people are also wondering about how to save for sabbaticals before retirement, have enough in their emergency funds, and discern fact from fiction when evaluating money management tips from social media.
—Tatiana Walk-Morris, Vox, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
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Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2025
And scientists will be able to discern these ice spectra with unprecedented clarity thanks to SPHEREx’s observations.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2025
The challenge will be to read between the lines to discern what’s smoke and what’s real.
—Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Young people are also wondering about how to save for sabbaticals before retirement, have enough in their emergency funds, and discern fact from fiction when evaluating money management tips from social media.
—Tatiana Walk-Morris, Vox, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discern
Cite this Entry
“Discern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discern. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
: to detect with the eyes : distinguish
discern an airplane in the clouds
2
: to come to know, recognize, or understand
discern the basic issue
discern right from wrong
discernible
adjective
-ˈər-nə-bəl
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