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

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

discernible differences in the two authors' writing styles

Recent Examples on the Web

Lacking an apparent story or discernible narrative, your eye/mind/attention/consciousness (yes, all of these things, all at once) were left to track the taut zebra strings traversing the prop-laden set. —Andrew Lampert, Artforum, 1 May 2025

Trump started threatening to annex Canada, and started backing that rhetoric with coercive policies, like hitting Canada with tariffs for no discernible reason, and without any sensical guidance as to how Canada could reverse them. —Sean Collins, Vox, 28 Apr. 2025

Many of the more distant galaxies in this frame appear starlike, with no discernible structure but without the diffraction spikes of a star in our galaxy. —Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2025

The idea is that some attribute discernible from financial statements is a marker of future performance. —William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

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

Rhymes for discernible

• discernable
• returnable
• indiscernible