Discern
Discern verb - To understand or point out the difference in.
Usage example: too young to discern between right and wrong
Know is a synonym for discern in notice topic. In some cases you can use "Know" instead a verb "Discern", when it comes to topics like same, knowledge, understand, catch sight of. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
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The attentive viewer should be able to discern everything one needs to know about her character just from this.
Source: Film / The Invisible Maniac - He has effectively fooled both sides of the war, making his true allegiance impossible to discern because anything he's said could have been a lie and they don't trust themselves to know it.
Source: Consummate Liar -
Bilingual Bonus: Those who know German can discern much from the posters.
Cite this Source
Know and Discern. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/discern/know
Discern & Know. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/discern/know>.
Know or Discern. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/discern/know.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "discern" and "know" have occurred on timeline