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
  • Other innovations include behavioral biometrics, which measure unique user behavior, such as typing patterns and mouse movements, and liveness detection tools that differentiate between real people and deepfakes.
    Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • The Democrats on stage, though largely agreeing about policy, sought to differentiate themselves.
    Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead but does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in count.
    WAFAA SHURAFA, Arkansas Online, 15 June 2025
  • Beyond his accolades, his journey distinguishes him in a field frequently focused on settlements rather than meaningful impacts.
    Jon Stojan, USA Today, 15 June 2025
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 18 Jun. 2025.

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