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.
Mr. Blum’s direction doesn’t allow for enough speaking silences, which might allow the characters’ interior lives to be discerned more clearly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 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
“I prayed about that, discerned and thought I would try it out,” Brown said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2023
But some of the white men discerned that I had begun to brood.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
