discern: Meaning and Definition of

dis•cern

Pronunciation: (di-sûrn', -zûrn'), [key]
— v.t.
  1. to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend: They discerned a sail on the horizon.
  2. to distinguish mentally; recognize as distinct or different; discriminate: He is incapable of discerning right from wrong.
—v.i.
  1. to distinguish or discriminate.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: