discernible
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does discernible mean? Discernible means able to be recognized, identified, or distinguished. If two things are described as discernible, it means they can be told apart. The verb discern means to recognize small details, accurately tell the difference between similar things, and make intelligent judgements by using such observations. Discernible is sometimes spelled as discernable. A close synonym is distinguishable. Discernible is especially used with the word difference, as in There is no discernable difference between these two things. The ability to discern or the process of doing so is called discernment, as in Only through careful discernment are these two parts discernible. Discernible means able to be discerned—not able to discern. The word for that is discerning, which can describe someone who has the ability to discern or such an ability, as in Most chefs have a very discerning palate. Example: These two scents may smell identical to the average person, but they are discernible to an experienced perfumer.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of discernible
1555–65; < Latin discernibilis ( see discern, -ible); replacing earlier discernable < Middle French, equivalent to discern ( er ) to discern + -able -able
Explanation
Discernible means noticeable. If your extra hours training are having no discernible influence on your basketball game, it means your game has not changed. You can use discernible in two senses. First, you can use it to describe something you physically see: Because the sky was so clear, the ship was discernible from miles off. You can also use it to describe something you sense or understand: When your younger brother told he was sorry he broke your baseball bat, the truth was discernible in his voice.
Vocabulary lists containing discernible
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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.
For the UK, there is no discernible link between summer heatwaves and El Niño.
From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026
The difference was barely discernible - when Nibedita pointed her camera to the plates, glasses and bowls on a shelf near the wall, the indoor temperatures hovered around 40C.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
How refreshingly meta, then, that “The Devil Wears Prada 2” — a film that seemingly had no discernible reason to exist other than to make money — directly addresses its own superfluity.
From Salon • May 1, 2026
Anthropic’s current defense contracts total only about $200 million, a barely discernible amount in the trillion-dollar Pentagon budget.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026
Barack and I went in for exams, and when we later sat down with the doctor, he told us there was no discernible issue with either of us.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
