Discern vs Determine - What's the difference?
discern | determine |
To detect with the senses, especially with the eyes.
* {{quote-book
, year=1875
, author=Jules Verne
, title=The Survivors of the Chancellor
, chapter=1
To perceive, recognize, or comprehend with the mind; to descry.
* {{quote-book
, year=1842
, author=Charles Dickens
, title=American Notes for General Circulation
To distinguish something as being different from something else; to differentiate.
* {{quote-book
, year=1651
, author=Thomas Hobbes
, title=Leviathan
To perceive differences.
To set the limits of.
* Bible, Acts xvii. 26
* Francis Bacon
To ascertain definitely; to figure out.
* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
, title= To fix the form or character of; to shape; to prescribe imperatively; to regulate; to settle.
* J. Edwards
* W. Black
To fix the course of; to impel and direct; with a remoter object preceded by to .
To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide.
To resolve on; to have a fixed intention of; also, to cause to come to a conclusion or decision; to lead.
(logic) To define or limit by adding a differentia.
(obsolete) To bring to an end; to finish.
* Shakespeare
As verbs the difference between discern and determine
is that discern is to detect with the senses, especially with the eyes while determine is to set the limits of.discern
English
Verb
(en verb)citation, passage=Meanwhile the brig had altered her tack, and was moving slowly to the east. Three hours later and the keenest eye could not have discerned her top-sails above the horizon.}}
citation, passage=If they discern' any evidences of wrong-going in any direction that I have indicated, they will acknowledge that I had reason in what I wrote. If they ' discern no such thing, they will consider me altogether mistaken.}}
citation, passage=The severity of judgement, they say, makes men censorious and unapt to pardon the errors and infirmities of other men: and on the other side, celerity of fancy makes the thoughts less steady than is necessary to discern exactly between right and wrong.}}
- He was too young to discern right from wrong.
Derived terms
* discernible * discernment * indiscernibleAnagrams
* *determine
English
Alternative forms
* (obsolete)Verb
(determin)- [God] hath determined the times before appointed.
- The knowledge of men hitherto hath been determined by the view or sight.
Old soldiers?, passage=Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine . The machine gun is so much more lethal than the bow and arrow that comparisons are meaningless.}}
- The character of the soul is determined by the character of its God.
- something divinely beautiful that at some time or other might influence or even determine her course of life
- Someone else's will determined me to this course.
- The court has determined the cause.
- The news of his father's illness determined him to depart immediately.
- Now, where is he that will not stay so long / Till his friend sickness hath determined me?