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discern
Synonyms:
​

behold, catch, descry, differentiate, discover, distinguish, espy, eye, judge, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, see, sight, spot, spy, view, witness.

Related Words:

anticipate, ascertain, detect, extricate, focus, foresee, determine, discriminate, distinguish, divine, rubberneck, read, separate. 

Synonym Study (Dictionary.com): 
​

Notice, discern, and perceive imply becoming aware of, and paying attention to, something.

To notice is to become aware of something that has caught one's attention:
to notice a newspaper headline; to notice a road sign.

Discern suggests distinguishing (sometimes with difficulty) and recognizing a thing for what it is, discriminating it from its surroundings:
In spite of the fog, we finally discerned the outline of the harbor.

Perceive, often used as a formal substitute for see or notice, may convey also the idea of understanding meanings and implications:
After examining the evidence he perceived its significance.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English (< Old French) < Latin discernere to separate, equivalent to dis- dis-1 + cernere to separate. C14: from Old French discerner, from Latin discernere to divide, from dis- 1 (apart) + cernere to separate. —Dictionary.com. // 

First Known Use: 14th century. History and Etymology: Middle English discernen "to discriminate, perceive rationally, see," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French discerner, borrowed from Latin discernere "to separate, divide off, distinguish," from dis- dis- + cernere "to sift, discern, decide, determine" — more at certain. —Merriam-Webster.

Sources: 1, 2.

Updated: 12 August 2020 {12:36 PM}
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