What does discernment mean?
Word: Discernment
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Discernment means the ability to judge well and to tell what is good, true or worth choosing.
Synonyms: perception, shrewdness
How do you spell discernment?
Syllables: dis - cern - ment
Tricky part: The s sound in the middle is spelt sc, so pupils who write what they hear leave out the c.
Watch out for: disernment, dicernment, discernement
Memory tip: Sharp Choosers have discernment: S, then C, side by side in the word.
Discernment in a sentence
Example 1: Mum shows real discernment when she chooses fabric for new curtains.
Example 2: Years of listening to music have given my uncle great discernment about jazz.
Example 3: With a little discernment, you can tell a useful website from a careless one.
Fun Fact
Discern comes from the Latin verb discernere, 'to separate' or 'to tell apart', which was built on cernere, 'to sift'.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
disc_rnm_nt
a) i, e
b) u, a
c) e, a
d) e, e
Show answer
d) e, e. Both gaps take an e: the word says dis-cern-ment.
Mingle-Mangle
The jumbled word in the sentence hides a real word. Choose it:
Choosing the right books for a young reader takes care and esdcninmter.
a) discontent
b) discouragement
c) disenchantment
d) discernment
Show answer
d) discernment. The jumble has eleven letters with an r and no o, h or a, which fits discernment alone.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word discernment as used in the sentence:
Kabir showed great discernment in choosing which old photos to frame for Grandma's birthday.
a) wisdom
b) foolishness
c) taste
d) insight
Show answer
b) foolishness. Foolishness means poor sense, the opposite of the careful choosing Kabir did.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. resemblence 2. embarrassment 3. temperament 4. discernment
a) a person's usual nature and moods
b) the ability to judge what is good and right
c) a shy, awkward feeling in front of other people
d) a likeness between two people or things
Show answer
d) a likeness between two people or things. Resemblance should end in ance; temperament, discernment and embarrassment are printed correctly.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these shows discernment at a fruit stall?
a) picking fruit by its shiny sticker alone
b) taking whatever is on the top of the pile
c) buying the biggest box because it looks grand
d) checking each mango before choosing the ripest
Show answer
d) checking each mango before choosing the ripest
2. A reviewer praised the young editor's discernment. What was being praised?
a) her speed at typing long reports
b) her neat and careful handwriting
c) her skill at telling strong writing from weak
d) her clear voice when reading aloud
Show answer
c) her skill at telling strong writing from weak
