discerning

[dih-sur-ning, -zur-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR discerning ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

showing good or outstanding judgment and understanding: a discerning critic of French poetry.

Origin of discerning

First recorded in 1600–10; discern + -ing²

Related formsdis·cern·ing·ly, adverbnon·dis·cern·ing, adjectiveun·dis·cern·ing, adjectiveun·dis·cern·ing·ly, adverb

Synonyms for discerning

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR discerning ON THESAURUS.COM

perceptive, keen, sharp, discriminating.

discern

[dih-surn, -zurn]

verb (used with object)

to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend: They discerned a sail on the horizon.

to distinguish mentally; recognize as distinct or different; discriminate: He is incapable of discerning right from wrong.

verb (used without object)

to distinguish or discriminate.

Origin of discern

1300–50; Middle English (< Old French) < Latin discernere to separate, equivalent to dis- dis-¹ + cernere to separate

Related formsdis·cern·er, nounpre·dis·cern, verb (used with object)un·dis·cerned, adjective

Synonyms for discern

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR discern ON THESAURUS.COM

1. discover, descry, espy. See notice. 2, 3. differentiate, judge.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for discerning

penetrating, knowledgeable, piercing, perceptive, astute, insightful, knowing, acute, bright, brilliant, clever, critical, ingenious, intelligent, judicious, perspicacious, sagacious, sage, sensitive, sharp

Examples from the Web for discerning

Contemporary Examples of discerning

Surely there needs to be some kind of discerning critical judgment involved?
From Didion to Dunham, Female Essayists Seize the Day
Lucy Scholes
October 17, 2014
At the very least, the fickle and discerning moviegoer is getting a vibrant diagnosis: healthier than ever.
Is the Summer Blockbuster Dead?
Kevin Fallon
July 14, 2014
A more vexing problem is discerning the suicide attempt from the accidental overdose.
Heroin: America’s Silent Assassin
Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Robert M. Lober, MD, PhD
February 3, 2014
Her comments struck a chord with discerning critics and writers.
Growing up with George Eliot: Rebecca Mead’s “My Life in Middlemarch”
Lucy Scholes
January 14, 2014
When it comes to people, though, discerning demonic influence is more difficult.
The Devil and Antonin Scalia
Candida Moss
October 8, 2013

Historical Examples of discerning

“You are as discerning as ever,” murmured the land baron––for it was Edward Mauville.
The Strollers
Frederic S. Isham
My son-in-law, Lawrence Hardin, is possessed of a discerning eye.
Eventide
Effie Afton
Where sounds are lacking, of what use is the faculty of discerning them?
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles
Jean Henri Fabre
To her discerning eye his manner of action conveyed no other impression.
The Loyalist
James Francis Barrett
To Christianity, discerning the end through the means, it is Redemption.
Natural Law in the Spiritual World
Henry Drummond

British Dictionary definitions for discerning

discerning

adjective

having or showing good taste or judgment; discriminating

Derived Formsdiscerningly, adverb

discern

verb

(tr) to recognize or perceive clearly

to recognize or perceive (differences)

Derived Formsdiscerner, noun

Word Origin for discern

C14: from Old French discerner, from Latin discernere to divide, from dis- 1 (apart) + cernere to separate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for discerning

"action of perceiving," late 14c., verbal noun from discern. As a present participle adjective, attested from c.1600.

discern

late 14c., from Old French discerner (13c.) "distinguish (between), separate" (by sifting), and directly from Latin discernere "to separate, set apart, divide, distribute; distinguish, perceive," from dis- "off, away" (see dis-) + cernere "distinguish, separate, sift" (see crisis). Related: Discerned; discerning.