discerning
dih-SUR-ning
/dɪˈsɜː.nɪŋ/
Having or showing good judgment about quality, taste, or subtle differences.
Implies refined aesthetic taste or the selective capacity to tell high quality from mediocre quality.
The story behind the word. The core of discerning goes back to Latin 'cernere', which literally meant to sift grain through a sieve. When combined with 'dis-' (apart), it created 'discernere', the act of separating valuable wheat from worthless chaff.
Word relationships
- discriminating: Discriminating highlights making fine distinctions in quality, though it can carry negative social connotations outside art/taste contexts.
- judicious: Judicious focuses on sound decision-making, while discerning focuses on appreciating fine quality.
- indiscriminate: Indiscriminate means done at random without careful judgment of quality.
- uncritical: Uncritical means accepting things without evaluation.
Commonly confused with
- discreet: Discreet means careful in speech or action to avoid offence, while discerning means showing good judgment in taste.
Word family
- discern (verb): To perceive or recognize clearly.
- discernment (noun): The ability to judge well.
Collocations
- discerning taste
- discerning reader
- discerning customer
- discerning eye
Idioms & expressions
- separate the wheat from the chaff
Example sentences
- "Only a discerning collector would recognize the subtle brushwork characteristic of the master's early period." Art appreciation
- "The restaurant caters to discerning diners who demand locally sourced organic ingredients." Culinary criticism
Memory hook
DISCERNing thinkers CONCERN themselves with separating good from bad. SIFTING the best from the rest.
When not to use
Do not use to describe simple mathematical or logical problem-solving.
Fun facts
- The root 'cernere' also gave us 'concern', 'certain', and 'decree'!
Related words
Also appears in
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