discernible

adjective

dis·​cern·​ible di-ˈsər-nə-bəl 

-ˈzər-

variants or less commonly discernable

: able to be perceived by a sense (such as sight or smell) or by the mind : capable of being discerned

a discernible difference

It is thought that the genes that normally produce a white underbelly in the gray squirrel are active in a wider area of their bodies, often leaving discernible gray patches on the spine and head.

—C. Claiborne Ray

Downpours are a near-daily occurrence throughout the year, and there are few discernible changes of season. Sunlight, warmth, and moisture are constants.

—Scott Wallace

Judging by the food one samples around the U.S., there is little difference in the performance of male and female chefs discernable to the eye or palate.

—Mimi Sheraton

discernibly

di-ˈsər-nə-blē 

-ˈzər-

adverb

or less commonly discernably

a discernibly better product

two materials that are not discernibly different

When a recipe says to brown the meat, it is calling for a deep brown sear and a discernibly thick crust on all sides …

—Cook's Illustrated

Synonyms

• appreciable
• apprehensible
• detectable
• distinguishable
• palpable
• perceptible
• sensible

Examples of discernible in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From the outside, there were no discernible signs that a mass shooting had taken place there 80 hours earlier. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024

Rock is the perfect outlet for that, too — for communicating something that can be so primal and entirely consuming without discernible rhyme or reason. —Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024

Plus, this option also proved to be durable, passing our drop test without any discernible damage. —Jack Byram, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Mar. 2024

The only discernible frustration from players related to that situation came after Thursday’s game, when a mob of dozens of Ohtani-seeking reporters clogged the clubhouse as other players were changing to leave. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024

In America, the rise of anti-French sentiment during the early years of the Iraq War led to a marked decline in French first names—but there was no discernible impact on middle names. —Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024

Re-entering the discernible atmosphere, the Crew Dragon followed a northwest-to-southeast trajectory across the United States, rapidly slowing in a fireball of super-heated air. —William Harwood, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024

The island of Host had been of interest to archaeologists because at least one Roman ship is known to have sank there, and its remains are still discernible. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024

Another challenge that Burn and his team contended with was figuring out how discernible the sounds of Auschwitz would have been in real life. —Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

discernible borrowed from Late Latin discernibilis, from Latin discernere "to separate, divide off, distinguish, discern" + -ibilis -ible; discernable from discern + -able, after Late Latin discernibilis

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined above