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Discernment

Pronunciation varies by accent · noun

Meaning

The act of distinguishing between things..

Definitions by Sense

  1. The act of distinguishing between things.
  2. The ability to distinguish between things.
  3. The ability to perceive differences that exist.
  4. The condition of understanding.
  5. Aesthetic discrimination; taste, appreciation.
  6. Perceptiveness.
  7. The ability to make wise judgements; sagacity.
  8. Discretion in judging objectively.

Example Sentences

Unmasking requires we stop relying on neurotypical people’s acceptance in order to guide how we should act—and that means sometimes doing the “right” thing even when we know it will rub others the wrong way. Most masked Autistics need a lot of practice developing a strong sense of discernment, which is essentially using our own beliefs and perceptions to guide our behavior, rather than deferring to everyone else’s fleeting reactions and impressions.

Synonyms for discernment

apprehensionsagacityunderstandingjudgmentdiscretionsavvyappreciationjudgementperceptivenesstastesagaciousness

Antonyms for discernment

Related Words

perceptivenesssagaciousnessdiscretionsagacityunderstandingappreciationsavvyjudgmentjudgementapprehensiontastediscerningdistinctiondiscriminationacumeninsightwisdomvisioncautionsense

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does discernment mean?

Discernment means The act of distinguishing between things..

What is a synonym for discernment?

Common synonyms include apprehension, sagacity, understanding, judgment.

What is the opposite of discernment?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use discernment in a sentence?

Unmasking requires we stop relying on neurotypical people’s acceptance in order to guide how we should act—and that means sometimes doing the “right” thing even when we know it will rub others the wrong way. Most masked Autistics need a lot of practice developing a strong sense of discernment, which is essentially using our own beliefs and perceptions to guide our behavior, rather than deferring to everyone else’s fleeting reactions and impressions.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.