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Sapient vs Discerning - What's the difference?

sapient | discerning | Synonyms |

Sapient is a synonym of discerning.


As adjectives the difference between sapient and discerning

is that sapient is possessing wisdom and discernment; wise, learned while discerning is of keen insight or good judgement; perceptive.

As nouns the difference between sapient and discerning

is that sapient is (chiefly|science fiction) an intelligent, self-aware being while discerning is discernment.

As a verb discerning is

.

sapient

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Possessing wisdom and discernment; wise, learned.
  • * 2010 , (Christopher Hitchens), Hitch-22 , Atlantic 2011, p. 217:
    • In Europe I had been told by sapient academics that there wasn't really any class system in the United States: well, you couldn't prove that by the conditions in California's agribusinesses, or indeed its urban factories.
  • (chiefly, science fiction) Possessing intelligence and self-awareness.
  • * {{quote-magazine
    • , year = 1962 , date = January , first = Henry Beam , last = Piper , authorlink = H. Beam Piper , title = Naudsonce , magazine = Analog Science Fact and Science Fiction , volume = 68 , issue = 5 , page = 9 , passage = It was inhabited by a sapient humanoid race, and some of them were civilized enough to put it in Class V, and Colonial Office doctrine on Class V planets was rigid. }}

    Synonyms

    * (possessing wisdom) wise, sagacious * (possessing self-awareness) intelligent, self-aware, sentient

    Related terms

    * sapiently * Homo sapiens

    References

    * *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chiefly, science fiction) An intelligent, self-aware being.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year = 1960 , first = Philip José , last = Farmer , authorlink = Philip José Farmer , title = A Woman a Day , page = 30 , passage = It seemed to him a possibility that the Cold War Corps of March might have contacted hitherto unknown sapients on some just discovered interstellar planet. }}

    Synonyms

    * See

    References

    * *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    discerning

    English

    Verb

    (head)

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of keen insight or good judgement; perceptive.

    • Related terms

    * discern

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • discernment
  • * 1605 , , I. iv. 224:
    • Either his notion weakens, his discernings / Are lethargied

    Anagrams

    *