discern

verb

di-ˈsərn How to pronounce discern (audio)
Definition of discernnext
1
as in to notice
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes barely able to discern the garden gate through the mist

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to differentiate
to understand or point out the difference in too young to discern between right and wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to understand
to have a clear idea of we're still trying to discern the meaning of that cryptic remark

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of discern Knowing how to discern deepfakes – manipulated images or video – challenges society. — Suzanne Riedel, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026 The dots composing the words move up the screen while the rest of the pinpoints move downward, generating a visual opposition that the human mind can detect and discern. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 July 2026 Big Deal Investors are becoming more discerning about sustainable finance, focusing less on whether a bond carries a green or transition label and more on whether issuers can demonstrate a credible path to decarbonization. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 16 July 2026 Collectors are becoming more discerning about legal title, provenance, completeness, and rarity. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for discern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discern
  1. notice
  2. differentiate
  3. understand
  4. see
  5. distinguish
  6. know
  7. spot
  8. decipher
Verb
  • If that does happen, drivers may notice smoke coming from the cabin air vents, see flames coming out the passenger side of the engine compartment, or receive a cluster warning message.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 24 July 2026
  • In the event of a short, drivers may notice smoke in the air vents or a warning message on their dashboard followed by flames coming from the passenger's side of the engine compartment.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
Definition of notice
Verb
  • With multiple companies able to utilize general intelligence similarly, what will differentiate your firm from another will be the ability of your model to understand the work that needs to be done.
    — TerDawn DeBoe, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Even with that favorable outlook, a recent Jefferies report found that many premium denim brands still struggle to differentiate themselves enough to encourage consumers to spend more.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 21 July 2026
Definition of differentiate
Verb
  • Confidence is highest for events whose relationship to a warming climate is well understood and well represented in climate models.
    — Deepti Singh, The Conversation, 24 July 2026
  • Among all the senses, smell is perhaps the least well understood.
    — Hannah Docter-Loeb, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of understand
Verb
  • In the underwater video, an adult female orca is seen holding onto a dead sharp-tail sunfish that the group had previously killed.
    — Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • If a complaint or case number is available under the tab, click on it and read through the document to see the disciplinary record.
    — Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Definition of see
Verb
  • This dual role distinguishes Intel from its rival data center CPU designers, especially Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia, and the tech giants with custom silicon, such as Amazon and Alphabet 's Google.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 23 July 2026
  • That will help someone distinguish a genuine message from a fake one.
    — Mark Beare, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of distinguish
Verb
  • The statement came a week after the Miami Herald reported that FWC criminal intelligence analysts have been looking at activists’ records in the state’s Driver and Vehicle Information Database, known as DAVID, since 2023.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
  • The suit alleges those employees knew the warehouse constructed on the property in 2022 would be used for fireworks storage and operations but did not enforce applicable safety and environmental requirements.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of know
Verb
  • That evening, midnight-shift officers spotted the animal trotting on a residential street in the area and slowly pursued it in a patrol vehicle, some of which was shown in a short video clip the police department posted on social media Friday.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 July 2026
  • As the league’s biggest stars gathered for the annual WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday, July 25, the Las Vegas Aces center — who is making her eighth WNBA All-Star Game appearance — was spotted with boyfriend Adebayo, 29.
    — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 26 July 2026
Definition of spot
Verb
  • Jonestown afflicted Naipaul’s vision, his way of deciphering not just political manias but the dreariness of urban life, the perpetual doom of the nuclear-arms race.
    — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 14 July 2026
  • Angela George The recount board is sticking around after business hours for now to tabulate ballots that needed to be duplicated after the voting machine could not read or decipher the ballot.
    — Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 8 July 2026
Definition of decipher

Browse Nearby Words

discarnate
discern
discerned
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Cite this Entry

“Discern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discern. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of discern for Spanish Speakers

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