discernment
Americannoun
-
the faculty of discerning; discrimination; acuteness of judgment and understanding.
- Synonyms:
- insight, penetration, perspicacity, judgment
-
the act or an instance of discerning.
noun
Usage
What does discernment mean? Discernment is the ability to recognize small details, accurately tell the difference between similar things, and make intelligent judgements by using such observations. It’s a noun form of the verb discern, which means to recognize, distinguish, or make judgments in this way, as in These two scents may smell identical to the average person, but an experienced perfumer can discern the difference between them. Things that can be identified or distinguished in such a way can be described as discernible. The adjective discerning can be used to describe someone who shows discernment or to describe such an ability, as in Most chefs have a very discerning palate. A close synonym is discriminating. The noun discrimination can be used to mean the same thing as discernment (though it’s more commonly used to refer to the practice of prejudicial treatment, which is not one of the senses of discernment). Example: Only through careful discernment can you tell a genuine artifact from the work of a counterfeiter.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of discernment
First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French discernement, equivalent to discern(er) “to separate” ( see discern) + -ment -ment
Explanation
Discernment is the ability to make a smart judgment about something. If you're voting for Student Council President, you need to use discernment to pick the best candidate. The noun discernment describes a wise way of judging between things, or a particularly perceptive way of seeing things. If you can understand something that's somewhat hidden or obscure — if you figure out the themes of a confusing movie, for example — you're using discernment. It comes from the Latin word discernere, meaning "separate." Discernment separates what's important or true from what's not.
Vocabulary lists containing discernment
Frankenstein
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Pride and Prejudice
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Purple Hibiscus
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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.
No matter: The audience is clueless about their own discernment, according to Clementi.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
But software or other technical engineers often aren’t right for the job, because marketing still involves so much discernment, Cadwallader said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
In interviews, try to reframe your skepticism as discernment.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Obvious AI tells throughout this track make clear that Boy George hasn’t just gotten lazy, he’s also lost the quality of discernment.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
He brings his sense of beauty and aesthetics and discernment of character to the staging of Truman shows.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
