Definition of secernnext
as in to differentiate
to understand or point out the difference in those philistines who seemingly cannot secern artistic depiction of the nude from blatant pornography

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for secern
Verb
  • What’s even more striking is the fact that the Puerto Rican scalloped hammerheads were not only differentiated from the Northwest Atlantic population, but also showed genetic separation from populations sampled in Belize and Brazil!
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Can voters differentiate between two candidates with the same name?
    Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • Weather became a way to distinguish Elle from those around her in Seattle.
    Angelina Mazza, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Kelce spotlighting Swift’s intelligence A true golden retriever boyfriend distinguishes himself by appreciating his partner’s smarts.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 2 July 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Secern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secern. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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