Standard Lemma guide

discernment

noun · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S ER1 N M AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of distinguishing between things.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The ability to distinguish between things.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The ability to perceive differences that exist.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The condition of understanding.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Aesthetic discrimination; taste, appreciation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Perceptiveness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The ability to make wise judgements; sagacity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Discretion in judging objectively.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

the trait of judging wisely and objectively

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a man of discernment

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: discretion

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wisdom, wiseness

Narrower terms: circumspection, caution, prudence

10

noun

Meaning 10

the mental ability to understand and discriminate between relations

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sagacity, sagaciousness, judgment, judgement

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wisdom, sapience

Narrower terms: eye, common sense, good sense, gumption, horse sense, sense, mother wit, judiciousness, discretion, discreetness, circumspection, prudence, injudiciousness, indiscreetness

11

noun

Meaning 11

perception of that which is obscure

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: perceptiveness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: perception

12

noun

Meaning 12

delicate discrimination (especially of aesthetic values)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • arrogance and lack of taste contributed to his rapid success
  • to ask at that particular time was the ultimate in bad taste

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: taste, appreciation, perceptiveness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: discrimination, secernment

Narrower terms: virtu, vertu, connoisseurship, vogue, trend, style, delicacy, discretion, culture

13

noun

Meaning 13

the cognitive condition of someone who understands

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he has virtually no understanding of social cause and effect

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: understanding, apprehension, savvy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: knowing

Narrower terms: comprehension, self-knowledge, smattering, appreciation, grasp, hold, grasping, hindsight, insight, brainstorm, brainwave, realization, realisation, recognition

History

Etymology

From Middle French discernement, equivalent to discern + -ment.

Across languages

Translations

48 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: diskriminace — discrimination
  • German: Diskriminierung — discrimination
  • German: Urteilsvermögen — discrimination
  • Indonesian: penindasan — discrimination
  • Indonesian: diskriminasi — discrimination
  • Italian: discernimento — discrimination
  • Czech: schopnost odlišit — the ability to distinguish between things
  • Dutch: onderscheidingsvermogen — the ability to distinguish between things
  • Galician: discernimento — the ability to distinguish between things
  • Georgian: გარჩევის უნარი (garčevis unari) — the ability to distinguish between things
  • German: Urteilsvermögen — the ability to distinguish between things
  • Indonesian: tamyiz — the ability to distinguish between things
  • Indonesian: pratiaksa — the ability to distinguish between things
  • Italian: distinzione — the ability to distinguish between things
  • Italian: oculatezza — the ability to distinguish between things
  • Italian: criterio — the ability to distinguish between things
  • Romanian: discernere — the ability to distinguish between things
  • French: discernement — the ability to perceive differences that exist
  • Georgian: ამოცნობა (amocnoba) — the ability to perceive differences that exist
  • German: Einsicht — the ability to perceive differences that exist
  • Italian: discernimento — the ability to perceive differences that exist
  • Georgian: მიხვედრილობა (mixvedriloba) — the condition of understanding
  • Georgian: გამჭრიახობა (gamč̣riaxoba) — the condition of understanding
  • German: Einsicht — the condition of understanding
  • Italian: assennatezza — the condition of understanding
  • Italian: buonsenso — the condition of understanding
  • Ottoman Turkish: هوش (huş) — the condition of understanding
  • Ottoman Turkish: ادراك (idrak) — the condition of understanding
  • Ottoman Turkish: عقل (ʼakl, ʼakıl) — the condition of understanding
  • German: Urteilsvermögen — aesthetic discrimination; taste, appreciation
  • Dutch: inzicht — perceptiveness
  • Dutch: scherpzinnigheid — perceptiveness
  • German: Einsicht — perceptiveness
  • Indonesian: kedayacerapan — perceptiveness
  • Czech: moudrost — the ability to make wise judgements; sagacity
  • Czech: soudnost — the ability to make wise judgements; sagacity
  • German: Urteilsvermögen — the ability to make wise judgements; sagacity
  • Greek: οξυδέρκεια (oxydérkeia) — the ability to make wise judgements; sagacity
  • Indonesian: kemampuadilan — the ability to make wise judgements; sagacity
  • Ottoman Turkish: هوش (huş) — the ability to make wise judgements; sagacity
  • Ottoman Turkish: ادراك (idrak) — the ability to make wise judgements; sagacity
  • Ottoman Turkish: عقل (ʼakl, ʼakıl) — the ability to make wise judgements; sagacity
  • Czech: soudnost — discretion in judging objectively
  • German: Urteilsvermögen — discretion in judging objectively
  • Greek: ευθυκρισία (efthykrisía) — discretion in judging objectively
  • Indonesian: tamyiz — discretion in judging objectively
  • Indonesian: pratiaksa — discretion in judging objectively
  • Romanian: discernământ — discretion in judging objectively