easily discern

USAGE SUMMARY

"easily discern" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that something is distinguishable or able to be identified with little effort. For example, "The difference between the two paintings was easily discernible."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Science & Research

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

25 human-written examples

You can easily discern these things by looking at his work.

The New York Times

Some symptom checklists are clearly branded, so patients and clinicians can easily discern the pharmaceutical interests involved.

The New York Times

Mr. Ashcroft rejected that argument, suggesting that drug agents could easily discern the "important medical, ethical and legal distinctions between intentionally causing a patient's death and providing sufficient dosages of pain medication necessary to eliminate or alleviate pain".

The New York Times

Although radar can track the way winds flow within a storm, it cannot easily discern the total energy of a storm, and whether that energy is increasing or decreasing.

The Economist

In her book, she described the magic number — seven — at which "more" turns into less, inspired by a 1956 study that showed that our senses can easily discern anywhere from five to nine objects of perception, like sounds, colors or lights — any more, and we begin to make errors.

The New York Times

You cannot easily discern downshifts from fourth to third, or from fifth to fourth.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

32 human-written examples

Some patients were getting the drug and others were not, for reasons not easily discerned.

The New York Times

Critics, whether praising or blaming, seem troubled by the lack of an easily discerned "meaning".

The Guardian

Part of the message was easily discerned: on the current course, we were surely doomed.

The Guardian

However, it overlooks the fact that faking illness makes it harder for those who are disabled -- especially if the disability is not easily discerned -- to obtain necessary help.

The New York Times

The psychologists who assess the children for recognised risk factors have easily discerned that the more risk factors, the higher the chance of reoffending.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "easily discern" when you want to emphasize that something is noticeable or understandable without much effort. For example, "The subtle differences between the two versions were easily discerned by experts."

Common error

While grammatically sound, "easily discern" can sound slightly informal in highly academic or technical writing. Consider alternatives like "clearly identifiable" or "readily apparent" to maintain a more sophisticated tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "easily discern" functions as an adverbial modifier enhancing a verb. The adverb "easily" modifies the verb "discern", indicating the manner in which the action of discerning is performed. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

37%

Science & Research

11%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "easily discern" is a versatile and grammatically sound expression used to convey the idea that something is readily apparent or understandable. As shown by Ludwig, it's a common phrase that occurs with different registers and is appropriate for various types of content, from news articles to scientific papers. While "easily discern" is widely accepted, one should also consider different alternatives. While grammatically sound, remember that in formal contexts phrases like "clearly identifiable" or "readily apparent" might be better alternatives. Therefore, it is advised to consider different options to find one that is the most suitable for the writing at hand.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

clearly discern

Replaces "easily" with "clearly", emphasizing the resulting clarity of perception.

readily perceive

Substitutes "discern" with "perceive" and "easily" with "readily", highlighting the quickness and ease of understanding.

quickly grasp

Uses "grasp" to mean understand and "quickly" to show speed, changing the phrasing while retaining the core meaning.

immediately recognize

Focuses on instant recognition, replacing "discern" with "recognize" and "easily" with "immediately".

plainly see

Uses simpler terms to convey ease of understanding or visibility.

effortlessly understand

Emphasizes the lack of effort involved in understanding.

intuitively know

Suggests understanding based on intuition rather than conscious effort.

unmistakably identify

Highlights the certainty and lack of ambiguity in identification.

distinguish without difficulty

Rephrases to emphasize the absence of difficulty in distinguishing.

ascertain with ease

Uses "ascertain" to mean find something out for certain. Emphasizes the simplicity of doing it with the adverbial phrase "with ease".

FAQs

How can I use "easily discern" in a sentence?

You can use "easily discern" to indicate that something is noticeable or understandable without much difficulty. For example, "The pattern in the data was "easily discerned" after applying the filter."

What are some alternatives to "easily discern"?

Some alternatives to "easily discern" include "clearly discern", "readily perceive", or "quickly grasp", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "easily discerned" or "easily discernible"?

Both "easily discerned" and "easily discernible" are correct. "Easily discerned" is the past participle of the verb, while "easily discernible" is an adjective meaning capable of being discerned. The choice depends on the grammatical structure of your sentence.

What's the difference between "easily discern" and "simply discern"?

"Easily discern" implies that something can be understood or noticed without much effort. "Simply discern" suggests that the act of discerning is straightforward, regardless of the effort involved. While similar, "easily discern" emphasizes the ease of perception, while "simply discern" emphasizes the straightforwardness of the process.