discernible

adjective

dis·​cern·​ible di-ˈsər-nə-bəl 

-ˈzər-

variants or less commonly discernable

: able to be perceived by a sense (such as sight or smell) or by the mind : capable of being discerned

a discernible difference

It is thought that the genes that normally produce a white underbelly in the gray squirrel are active in a wider area of their bodies, often leaving discernible gray patches on the spine and head.

—C. Claiborne Ray

Downpours are a near-daily occurrence throughout the year, and there are few discernible changes of season. Sunlight, warmth, and moisture are constants.

—Scott Wallace

discernibly

di-ˈsər-nə-blē 

-ˈzər-

adverb

or less commonly discernably

a discernibly better product

two materials that are not discernibly different

When a recipe says to brown the meat, it is calling for a deep brown sear and a discernibly thick crust on all sides …

—Cook's Illustrated

Synonyms

• appreciable
• apprehensible
• detectable
• distinguishable
• palpable
• perceptible
• sensible

Examples of discernible in a Sentence

discernible differences in the two authors' writing styles

Recent Examples on the Web

Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton, whose office is currently prosecuting two crosswalk death cases under the new statute, said a the circumstances of a crash can be easily discernible from an immediate but thorough investigation by police. —Jay R. Jordan, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025

That detail is not immediately discernible to the naked eye, unlike the large, attention-catching disks the performers wear around their necks, and which Lauer also designed. —Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025

Always easily discernible by its signature tartan packaging, Mackintosh’s Toffee is as hard as a brick and equally as likely to ruin your teeth. —Arianne Jones, Saveur, 15 Jan. 2025

Kitsch recalls how Gilpin improvised a tender scene in which Sara gently teases Isaac for having a discernible heartbeat. —Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

discernible borrowed from Late Latin discernibilis, from Latin discernere "to separate, divide off, distinguish, discern" + -ibilis -ible; discernable from discern + -able, after Late Latin discernibilis

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined above