discern

Meanings

• Verb

  To perceive or recognize (a fact, a detail, or a hidden meaning) with understanding; to distinguish and make out clearly.

• Verb

  To judge or form an opinion about (a situation or someone's character) based on careful thought and consideration.

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Synonyms

discriminate , distinguish , ken , spy

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with discern
urn , spurn , earn , learn

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Variants

List of all variants of discern that leads to same result
discern , discerned , discerner , discerners , discerning , discerns

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From Old French 'descerner' meaning 'to unravel, to distinguish', from 'des-' meaning 'apart' and 'cernir' meaning 'to surround'.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The word 'discern' is related to the word 'discovery'.

2. The ability to discern is a valuable skill in many areas of life, including science, art, and relationships.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. discrimination: The ability to distinguish between different things, particularly between people based on their race, gender, or other personal characteristics.

2. distinguish: To make a clear and definite difference between two or more things.

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Quotes

Quotes by authors and personalities

1. The ability to "discern" value at a glimpse, to sift the useful out of the rejected with as little expenditure of energy as possible, is the great talent of the scavenger.

   - Matthew Power,{it}Harper's{/it},December 2006

2. Astronomers are delighted to have found 19 galaxies that appear to be bent out of shape. The distorted images are cosmic mirages, arcs or rings of light created when the gravity of a massive foreground object bends and magnifies the light from a galaxy lying behind it. Albert Einstein predicted the effect … in 1936, but telescopes at the time weren't powerful enough to "discern" it.

   - R. Cowen,{it}Science News{/it},21 Jan. 2006

3. Despite the layers of ironic hesitation, the reader soon "discerns" that the emotions informing the book are raw and, more importantly, authentic.

   - {it}Publishers Weekly{/it},13 Dec. 1999

4. A careful analysis of the "Nutrition Facts" panels might provide some guidance, but you would have to do a lot of math before you could "discern" the best choice.

   - David L. Katz,{it}O, The Oprah Magazine{/it},August 2008

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

Discern has been used extensively in literature, particularly in philosophical and religious contexts. It is often used to describe the process of distinguishing truth from falsehood or good from evil.

How to Memorize "discern"

1. visualize
   

   - Imagine a judge carefully examining evidence in a courtroom to discern the truth.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'discern' with the idea of making a clear distinction or judgment.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Create a mnemonic using the first letter of each definition: 'D - Distinguish, C - Carefully consider, S - Separate, E - Evaluate, N - Notice'

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