Synonyms for discernment
Most common
knowledge understanding judgment US insight discretion selectivity far-sightedness
All synonyms
Noun
1. Judgment — perceptiveness
judgment US, judgement UK, taste, knowledge, understanding, insight, sagacity, wisdom, perspicacity, sense, intelligence, perceptiveness, shrewdness, astuteness, acuteness, perception, acumen, wit, apprehension, appreciation, savvy informal, discrimination, penetration
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
Perceptiveness.
Related words
- Word family
- discern
Forms
- Plural
- discernments → judgments, tastes, knowledges, understandings…
Choose the right word
Insight and discernment are applied oftenest to the judgment of character; penetration and perspicacity to other subjects of knowledge.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- knowledge Anna married without the knowledge of her parents.
- understanding The mystery of life is beyond human understanding.
- judgment Yanni is going to face God on the Day of Judgment.
- insight This poem calls for great insight from the reader.
- discretion Discretion is a rare and important virtue.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| discernment | rising | |
| knowledge | rising | |
| understanding | rising | |
| judgment | falling | |
| insight | rising | |
| discretion | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- wit1
- 5 letters
- sense1, taste1, savvy2
- 6 letters
- seeing2, wisdom2, acumen3
- 7 letters
- insight2
- 8 letters
- judgment2, sagacity
- 9 letters
- knowledge2, judgement2, acuteness3
- 10 letters
- perception3, discretion3, shrewdness2, astuteness3
- 11 letters
- penetration4, selectivity5
- 12 letters
- intelligence4, appreciation5, apprehension4, perspicacity
- 13 letters
- understanding4
- 14 letters
- discrimination5, perceptiveness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (savvy2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- discernement
- Italiano
- discernimento