Definition of Discern

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Discern

To see and identify by noting a difference or differences; to note the distinctive character of; to discriminate; to distinguish.

To see by the eye or by the understanding; to perceive and recognize; as, to discern a difference.

To see or understand the difference; to make distinction; as, to discern between good and evil, truth and falsehood.

To make cognizance.

Related Definitions:

And, As, Between, By, Character, Cognizance, Difference, Discern, Discriminate, Distinction, Distinctive, Distinguish, Eye, Evil, Falsehood, Good, Identify, Make, Note, Noting, Of, Or, Perceive, Recognize, See, The, To, Truth, Understand, Understanding

Discern Quotations

Through our own recovered innocence we discern the innocence of our neighbors.
Henry David Thoreau

As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.
Carl Jung

Every reader finds himself. The writer's work is merely a kind of optical instrument that makes it possible for the reader to discern what, without this book, he would perhaps never have seen in himself.
Marcel Proust

Genius - to know without having learned; to draw just conclusions from unknown premises; to discern the soul of things.
Ambrose Bierce

All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this.
Miyamoto Musashi

It is difficult to discern a serious threat to religious liberty from a room of silent, thoughtful schoolchildren.
Sandra Day O'Connor

The eye by long use comes to see even in the darkest cavern: and there is no subject so obscure but we may discern some glimpse of truth by long poring on it.
George Berkeley

Time alone reveals the just man; but you might discern a bad man in a single day.
Sophocles

We were alone. Where, I could not say, hardly imagine. All was black, and such a dense black that, after some minutes, my eyes had not been able to discern even the faintest glimmer.
Jules Verne

To succeed in the world, it is much more necessary to possess the penetration to discern who is a fool, than to discover who is a clever man.
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

Discern Translations

discern in German is erkennen
discern in Italian is distinquere, riconoscere
discern in Latin is pervideo pervidi pervisum
discern in Norwegian is skjelne
discern in Spanish is connocer

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