| n. | 1. | The act of discerning. |
| 2. | The power or faculty of the mind by which it distinguishes one thing from another; power of viewing differences in objects, and their relations and tendencies; penetrative and discriminate mental vision; acuteness; sagacity; insight; |
| Noun | 1. | discernment - the cognitive condition of someone who understands; "he has virtually no understanding of social cause and effect" |
| 2. | discernment - delicate discrimination (especially of aesthetic values); "arrogance and lack of taste contributed to his rapid success"; "to ask at that particular time was the ultimate in bad taste" | |
| 3. | discernment - perception of that which is obscure Synonyms: perceptiveness | |
| 4. | discernment - ability to make good judgments | |
| 5. | discernment - the trait of judging wisely and objectively; "a man of discernment" Synonyms: discretion |