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ion; acuteness; sagacity; insight; as, the errors of youth often proceed from the want of discernment.

Quickness of perception or discernment; penetration of mind; the faculty of nice discrimination. Selden.

Having nice discernment; perceiving or using minute distinctions; penetrating; clever; shrewd; -- opposed to Ant: dull or Ant: stupid; as, an acute observer; acute remarks, or reasoning.

The faculty of nice discernment or perception; acumen; keenness; sharpness; sensitiveness; -- applied to the senses, or the understanding. By acuteness of feeling, we perceive small objects or slight impressions: by acuteness of intellect, we discern nice distinctions. Perhaps, also, he felt his professional acuteness…

Not having the faculty of discernment; destitute of intellectual light; unable or unwilling to understand or judge; as, authors are blind to their own defects. But hard be hardened, blind be blinded more, That they may stumble on, and deeper fall. Milton.

Without sight, discernment, or understanding; without thought, investigation, knowledge, or purpose of one's own. By his imperious mistress blindly led. Dryden.

bridle to prevent him from seeing objects as his side hence, whatever obstructs sight or discernment. Nor bigots who but one way see, through blinkers of authority. M. Green.

Dull in understanding; slow of discernment; stupid; -- opposed to acute. His wits are not so blunt. Shak.

Acuteness of discernment; cunningness; shrewdness. [R.] Her eagly-eyed callidity. C. Smart.

Acute discernment.

n or given to controversy; a controversialist. How unfriendly is the controvertist to the discernment of the critic! Campbell.

In a critical manner; with nice discernment; accurately; exactly. Critically to discern good writers from bad. Dryden.

Discernment. [Obs.]

Possessed of discernment, especially in avoiding error or evil, and in the adaptation of means to ends; prudent; sagacious; judicious; not rash or heedless; cautious. It is the discreet man, not the witty, nor the learned, nor the brave, who guides the conversation, and gives measures to society. Addison. Satire 's my…

The quality of being discreet; wise conduct and management; cautious discernment, especially as to matters of propriety and self- control; prudence; circumspection; wariness. The better part of valor is discretion. Shak. The greatest parts without discretion may be fatal to their owner. Hume.

The quality of being discriminating; faculty of nicely distinguishing; acute discernment; as, to show great discrimination in the choice of means.

ferences between objects, or the qualities by which one is known from others; exercise of discernment; discrimination. To take away therefore that error, which confusion breedeth, distinction is requisite. Hooker.

Discriminating opinion or judgment; discrimination; discernment; decision. [Obs.] And there he learned of things and haps to come, To give foreknowledge true, and certain doom. Fairfax.

Discriminating choice; discernment. [Obs.] To use men with much difference and election is good. Bacon.

mination; not easy to satisfy; exact; nice; fastidious; as, exquisite judgment, taste, or discernment. His books of Oriental languages, wherein he was exquisite. Fuller.