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Discern vs Discard - What's the difference?

discern | discard |

In lang=en terms the difference between discern and discard

is that discern is to perceive differences while discard is to throw away, to reject.

As verbs the difference between discern and discard

is that discern is to detect with the senses, especially with the eyes while discard is to throw away, to reject.

As a noun discard is

anything discarded.

discern

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To detect with the senses, especially with the eyes.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1875 , author=Jules Verne , title=The Survivors of the Chancellor , chapter=1 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.}}
  • To perceive, recognize, or comprehend with the mind; to descry.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1842 , author=Charles Dickens , title=American Notes for General Circulation 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.}}
  • To distinguish something as being different from something else; to differentiate.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1651 , author=Thomas Hobbes , title=Leviathan 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.
  • To perceive differences.

    • Derived terms

    * discernible * discernment * indiscernible

    Anagrams

    * *

    discard

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • to throw away, to reject.
  • * I. Taylor
    • A man discards the follies of boyhood.
  • (card games) To make a discard; to throw out a card.
  • To dismiss from employment, confidence, or favour; to discharge.
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • They blame the favourites, and think it nothing extraordinary that the queen should resolve to discard them.

    Synonyms

    * cast away * dismiss * dispose * eliminate * get rid of * throw away * See also

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Anything discarded.
  • A discarded playing card in a card game.

    • External links

    * *

    Anagrams

    * English heteronyms