discern
verb (used with object)
to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend.
discerned
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past participleof discern.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof discern.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
discernverb (used with object)to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The officers shared the shocking recording this week in hopes of identifying the driver, whose license plate cannot be discerned in the clip.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Only so much about the subjects who are made the focus of the program can be discerned from flimsy data that’s some 2,000 years old.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The 1924 Immigration Act limited immigration so drastically, that it can be discerned by a distinct bend in the chart of US annual population growth.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Myanmar has a rich culture of fortune-telling, and many believe the future can be discerned by mystics.
From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025
Between the echoing blasts of fireworks, I discerned a flapping sound like the unfurling of membranous wings.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
