English Explanatory Dictionary

discern

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To detect with the senses, especially with the eyes.
  2. To perceive, recognize, or comprehend with the mind; to descry.
  3. To distinguish something as being different from something else; to differentiate or discriminate.
  4. To perceive differences.

Pronunciation

/dɪˈsɜːn/ /dɪˈsɝn/ en-us-discern.ogg /dɪˈzɜːn/ /dɪˈzɝn/

Word forms

discern discerns discerning discerned

Etymology

From Middle English discernen, from Old French discerner, from Latin discernere (“to separate, divide, distinguish, discern”), from dis- (“apart”) + cernere (“to distinguish”); see certain.

Synonyms

behold see spy distinguish ken discriminate

Derived words

discernability discernable discernance discernible discernment indiscernible misdiscern undiscerned
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on D Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary