secern

verb

si-ˈsərn How to pronounce secern (audio)
Definition of secernnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for secern
  1. differentiate
  2. distinguish
Verb
  • Those early studies were trying to find a way to differentiate menstrual from systemic blood samples.
    — Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 30 Oct. 2026
  • So women like Madonna and Grace Jones and Pat Benatar burst onto the scene with crops that differentiated them from the it girls of yore.
    — Molly Mulshine, InStyle, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of differentiate
Verb
  • New materials, colors and finishes, including a California-specific fabric and color scheme, further distinguish the camper van's interior look and feel from the rest of the Volkswagen van lineup.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Auwaerter, who was not part of the study, said the data didn't distinguish consumption from external exposure — in other words, the hair could have picked up traces of weed simply by being buried together with it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 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
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Cite this Entry

“Secern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secern. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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