discernment

[ dih-surn-muhnt, -zurn- ]

noun

1. the faculty of discerning; discerning; discrimination; acuteness of judgment and understanding.

   Synonyms: insight, penetration, perspicacity, judgment

2. the act or an instance of discerning. discerning.

discernment

/ dɪˈsɜːnmənt /

noun

1. keen perception or judgment

Other Words From

• nondis·cernment noun
• predis·cernment noun
• self-dis·cernment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of discernment¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French discernement, equivalent to discern(er) “to separate” ( discern ) + -ment -ment

Example Sentences

For art, knowledge is embedded in experience — for example, in the discernment of rhythmic patterns and spatial sensation in the undulations of blue, violet, green and neutral tones in Oskar Fischinger’s beautiful “Multi wave” oil painting from 1948.

From Los Angeles Times

Artistic emphasis dramatically shifts away from an object’s traditional role of delivering specific meaning and toward a viewer’s individualized discernment.

From Los Angeles Times

Even those a mere decade older than Swift can remember how much it was drilled into female heads that we should care for nothing more than male opinion, often with little discernment over what man was offering the opinion.

From Salon

There were a few praying for, in particular, wisdom, discernment, courage and peace.”

From Los Angeles Times

No university claims to be open to the expression of any or all views, no matter how unorthodox or counterfactual; they make judgments about the propriety of viewpoints all the time; the level of discernment they practice is one way we judge them as serious educational establishments.

From Los Angeles Times