discerning

[ dih-sur-ning, -zur- ]

adjective

1. showing good or outstanding judgment and understanding:

   a discerning critic of French poetry.

   Synonyms: discriminating, sharp, keen, perceptive

discerning

/ dɪˈsɜːnɪŋ /

adjective

1. having or showing good taste or judgment; discriminating

Derived Forms

• disˈcerningly, adverb

Other Words From

• dis·cerning·ly adverb
• nondis·cerning adjective
• undis·cerning adjective
• undis·cerning·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of discerning¹

First recorded in 1600–10; discern + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Daniel Enemark, senior economist at the San Diego Workforce Partnership, said the competitive job market and increases in inflation are making job hunters more discerning.

From Voice of San Diego

Social media is not very discerning when it comes to nude art.

From Quartz

If you are trying to be more discerning, the spreadsheet put together by Prussin and Marr, as well as one put together by mechanical engineer Aaron Collins, offer specific recommendations.

From Washington Post

Dogs, we are told, have more discerning senses of smell and hearing than we do, and birds of prey can see a rodent scurrying in the grass from hundreds of feet away.

From Washington Post

As a result, startup founders are trying to become more discerning about venture funding, rather than viewing it merely as free money.

From Digiday

Surely there needs to be some kind of discerning critical judgment involved?

From The Daily Beast

What makes Islam so tricky that it trips up even the usually more discerning among us?

From The Daily Beast

At the very least, the fickle and discerning moviegoer is getting a vibrant diagnosis: healthier than ever.

From The Daily Beast

A more vexing problem is discerning the suicide attempt from the accidental overdose.

From The Daily Beast

So many good singers that you, as an audience member, find yourself starting to become discerning.

From The Daily Beast

The early recognition of pictured objects, of which certain animals have a measure, is often strikingly discerning.

From Project Gutenberg

Had she, so observant, so discerning in her fastidious taste—had she failed to notice the small detail too?

From Project Gutenberg

Discerning a dark object among the branches, he shrinks back, crosses stage, and goes out through the wood to the left.

From Project Gutenberg

After dinner, the discerning eye of the co-mother-in-law divines the work of darkness.

From Project Gutenberg

It was, she knew, a precious privilege to know a poet, and to see the natural and spiritual worlds through his discerning eyes.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• astute
• insightful
• knowledgeable
• penetrating
• perceptive
• piercing

More About Discerning

What does discerning mean?

Discerning is an adjective that means able to discern—recognize small details, accurately tell the difference between similar things, and make intelligent judgements by using such observations.

Discerning is also the continuous (-ing) form of the verb discern. As an adjective, it can be used to describe someone who has the ability to discern or to describe such an ability.

The ability to do this or the process of doing it is called discernment, as in Only through careful discernment can you tell a genuine artifact from the work of a counterfeiter. Things that can be identified or distinguished in such a way can be described as discernible.

A close synonym of discerning is discriminating (not in the prejudicial sense).

Example: Most chefs have a very discerning sense of taste.

Where does discerning come from?

The first records of discerning as an adjective come from the 1600s. It derives from the Latin discernere, meaning “to separate” or “to divide,” from dis-, meaning “apart,” and cernere, “to separate.”

To be discerning is to be able to tell things apart—to separate them, even when they appear to be very similar. People who are discerning are able to make keen observations about things. A person with a discerning palate may be able to discern flavors that others cannot. This ability is often associated with wisdom and experience. Being discerning also often involves making a judgment, especially about things that aren’t obvious. For example, it takes discernment to accurately judge someone’s character.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to discerning? 

• discerningly (adverb)
• nondiscerning (adjective)
• undiscerning (adjective)
• undiscerningly (adverb)
• discern (verb)

What are some synonyms for discerning?

• discriminating

What are some words that share a root or word element with discerning? 

 

• discernment
• discernible

 

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing discerning?

• distinguish
• differentiate
• between
• difference
• apart
• perception
• keen
• observation
• judgement

How is discerning used in real life?

Discerning is a somewhat formal word and is typically used in serious contexts.

Discerning reader pro-tip: When a daily newsletter comes out at exactly the same time every morning, you know its editors are putting it to bed before they go to sleep themselves, and it doesn’t contain that day’s most recent developments.

— Tom Angell 🌳📰ⓥ (@tomangell) September 18, 2018

Investors who once blindly piled in to commercial property are likely to think twice now. The result could be a more discerning investment approach https://t.co/aN29qU6hQW

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) June 28, 2020

A discerning palate is prime cat behavior. Lots of people dismiss it as 'finicky' which isn't fair to our feline friends. I look at as something as simple as soda from a can, bottle or tap. There's a difference!

— Erik Anderson (@awards_watch) July 14, 2020

 

 

Try using discerning!

Which of the following actions is NOT associated with someone who’s discerning? 

A. differentiating
B. distinguishing
C. discriminating
D. ignoring