SECERN Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

secern

verb

si-ˈsərn

Definition of secern

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for secern

Verb

This specific layout filters out background protons and electrons while mapping the exact direction of incoming neutrons, thereby differentiating between normal atmospheric radiation and a hidden nuclear weapon.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026
Multiple margaritas make the menu, and Sharp differentiates them with fresh watermelon juice in one and hibiscus in another.

— Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026

Definition of differentiate

Verb

Of course, in the new museum facility, our program will evolve, building on what distinguishes our offerings.

— Leslie Anderson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2026
Large language models are inherently unable to distinguish between legitimate instructions provided by users and malicious ones sneaked into emails, source code, and other third-party content the models are processing.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026

Definition of distinguish

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.

Browse Nearby Words

seawalls

secern

secerned

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Secern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secern. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of secern

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

implacable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes