discerning

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪˈsɜːn.iŋ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /dɪˈsɝn.iŋ/

Verb

discerning

1. present participle and gerund of discern

Adjective

discerning (comparative more discerning, superlative most discerning)

1. Of keen insight or good judgement; perceptive.

   The discerning customer will appreciate our new range of quality clothing.

   • 1682, [Nahum Tate; John Dryden], The Second Part of Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 5:

     Such practices as Theſe, too groſs to lye / Long unobſerv'd by each diſcerning Eye, / The more judicious Iſraelites Unſpell'd, / Though ſtill the Charm the giddy Rabble held, [...]

Related terms

• discern

Translations

of keen insight

• Bulgarian: прозорлив (bg) (prozorliv), проницателен (bg) (pronicatelen)
• Finnish: arvostelukykyinen
• German: aufgeweckt (de), scharfsichtig, wahrnehmend (de), erkennend (de), unterscheidend (de), urteilsfähig, anspruchsvoll (de), kennerhaft
• Latin: sapiens
• Macedonian: про́никлив (prónikliv)
• Portuguese: sagaz (pt), perspicaz (pt), astuto (pt)

Noun

discerning (plural discernings)

1. discernment
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], line 224:

     Either his notion weakens, his discernings / Are lethargied

Anagrams

• rescinding