Dictionary
Thesaurus
Medical
Scrabble®
Spanish Central
Browse DictionaryBrowse Thesaurus
Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android
Games
Word of the Day
Video
Blog: Words at Play
My Faves
Dictionary

secern

transitive verb se·cern \si-ˈsərn\

Definition of SECERN

:  to discriminate in thought :  distinguish
ADVERTISEMENT

Origin of SECERN

Latin secernere to separate — more at secret
First Known Use: 1604

Related to SECERN

Synonyms
difference, differentiate, discern, discriminate, distinguish, separate
Antonyms
confuse, mistake, mix (up)

Rhymes with SECERN

adjourn, astern, attorn, casern, concern, discern, downturn, epergne, eterne, extern, heartburn, Hepburn, intern, in turn, inurn, kick turn, lucerne, Lucerne, nocturn, nocturne, outturn, return, sauternes, sojourn, star turn, stem turn, step turn, sunburn, unlearn, upturn, U-turn, windburn

Learn More About SECERN

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: secernentPrevious Word in the Dictionary: secedeAll Words Near: secern
ADVERTISEMENT
10 Charming Words for Nasty People
Put-downs with flair
Learn More
When "Literally" isn't, well, literal
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.
Watch Now
Know what this is?
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Go Play
Fear of cats?
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears
Learn More
Join Us
Merriam-Webster
on Facebook
Merriam-Webster
on Twitter
Bookstore: Digital and Print
Merriam-Webster references for Mobile, Kindle, print, and more.
See All
Other Merriam-Webster Dictionaries