discern
to notice or distinguish clearly
Roots
- cern / cret: sift, separate, distinguish, or set apart
- dis- / dif-: apart, away, not, reversal, or disruption
Other words with the cern / cret root
- discerning: showing careful judgment
- discrete: separate and distinct
- secret: kept apart from public knowledge
- secrete: to release or hide away
Discern means separate clearly in the mind: one signal stands apart from the blur.
After rereading the paragraph, he could discern the author's real objection.