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
  • This suggests an opportunity for cloud providers that can take steps to differentiate in this area.
    Forbes Research, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Labial scales: The vertical scales along the lips (jawline), often keeled and shaped distinctly, useful for differentiating rattlesnakes from similar species.
    Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • The team took apart the malaria problem and tried something new: detect the wingbeat frequency—to distinguish it from other insects—of a female Anopheles in flight and shoot it down.
    Robert C. Wolcott, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The fraudsters are poisoning the well for profit and if they're not stopped soon, then the days of being able to trust the body of scientific literature, and of having the ability to distinguish between scientific fact and scientific fake, may be coming to an end.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 2025.

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