See decern on Wiktionary
{
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"english": "verbal substantive",
"word": "decerning"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"english": "Scots law",
"word": "decerniture"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "decernment"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "-"
},
"expansion": "Middle English",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "fr",
"3": "décerner"
},
"expansion": "French décerner",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "dēcernō",
"4": "",
"5": "I decide, pronounce a decision"
},
"expansion": "Latin dēcernō (“I decide, pronounce a decision”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "cern"
},
"expansion": "English cern",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "-"
},
"expansion": "Old French",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "-"
},
"expansion": "English",
"name": "cog"
}
],
"etymology_text": "First attested in late Middle English circa 1425; from the French décerner, from the Latin dēcernō (“I decide, pronounce a decision”), from dē (“of, from, away from”) + cernō (“I separate, distinguish”), whence the English cern. In Old French, the forms of décerner were frequently conflated with those of descerner, discerner; the two verbs were not clearly distinguished until the 16th century; hence, in English also, decern is found with the sense discern.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "decerns",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "decerning",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "decerned",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "decerned",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "decern (third-person singular simple present decerns, present participle decerning, simple past and past participle decerned)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "decernent"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "31 16 25 5 5 17",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "31 18 27 3 3 17",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "30 19 28 3 3 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "16 37 39 0 0 7",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Law",
"orig": "en:Law",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To decide or determine (a matter disputed or doubtful), with simple object, with infinitive or object clause, or intransitive."
],
"id": "en-decern-en-verb-nBoWzdT4",
"links": [
[
"disputed",
"dispute#English"
],
[
"doubtful",
"doubtful#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(obsolete, chiefly transitive) To decide or determine (a matter disputed or doubtful), with simple object, with infinitive or object clause, or intransitive."
],
"tags": [
"obsolete",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Scots law",
"orig": "en:Scots law",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "31 18 27 3 3 17",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "30 19 28 3 3 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "16 37 39 0 0 7",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Law",
"orig": "en:Law",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To decree (something) by judicial sentence.",
"To decree by judicial sentence that something be done."
],
"id": "en-decern-en-verb-eRQ8DcVU",
"links": [
[
"judicial",
"judicial#English"
],
[
"sentence",
"sentence#English"
]
],
"qualifier": "Scots law",
"raw_glosses": [
"(chiefly transitive, sometimes intransitive, Scots law) To decree (something) by judicial sentence.",
"To decree by judicial sentence that something be done."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"sometimes",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Scots law",
"orig": "en:Scots law",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "31 18 27 3 3 17",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "30 19 28 3 3 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "16 37 39 0 0 7",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Law",
"orig": "en:Law",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1668 July 3rd, James Dalrymple, “Thomas Rue contra Andrew Houſtoun” in The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion I (Edinburgh, 1683), pages 547–548",
"text": "He purſued Andrew Houſtoun upon his promiſe, to give him the like Sallary for the next year, and in abſence obtained him to be holden as confeſt and Decerned."
}
],
"glosses": [
"To decree (something) by judicial sentence.",
"To decree a person etc. to be or to do something by judicial sentence. (in the phrase “to decern in”, obsolete) To mulct in by decree of court."
],
"id": "en-decern-en-verb-X0VH2r0X",
"links": [
[
"judicial",
"judicial#English"
],
[
"sentence",
"sentence#English"
],
[
"mulct",
"mulct#English"
],
[
"court",
"court#English"
]
],
"qualifier": "Scots law",
"raw_glosses": [
"(chiefly transitive, sometimes intransitive, Scots law) To decree (something) by judicial sentence.",
"To decree a person etc. to be or to do something by judicial sentence. (in the phrase “to decern in”, obsolete) To mulct in by decree of court."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"sometimes",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"glosses": [
"To discern; to distinguish or separate by differences (things that differ, or one thing from another)."
],
"id": "en-decern-en-verb-scpL9eHX",
"links": [
[
"discern",
"discern#English"
],
[
"distinguish",
"distinguish#English"
],
[
"separate",
"separate#English"
],
[
"differences",
"difference#English"
],
[
"differ",
"differ#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(obsolete, transitive) To discern; to distinguish or separate by differences (things that differ, or one thing from another)."
],
"tags": [
"obsolete",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"glosses": [
"To discern; to distinguish or separate by differences (things that differ, or one thing from another).",
"To distinguish; to discriminate between."
],
"id": "en-decern-en-verb-2lFDnvJO",
"links": [
[
"discern",
"discern#English"
],
[
"distinguish",
"distinguish#English"
],
[
"separate",
"separate#English"
],
[
"differences",
"difference#English"
],
[
"differ",
"differ#English"
],
[
"discriminate",
"discriminate#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(obsolete, transitive) To discern; to distinguish or separate by differences (things that differ, or one thing from another).",
"(intransitive) To distinguish; to discriminate between."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"obsolete",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "31 18 27 3 3 17",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "30 19 28 3 3 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To see distinctly (with the eyes or the mind); distinguish (an object or fact); discern."
],
"id": "en-decern-en-verb-SAiDvd5h",
"links": [
[
"distinctly",
"distinctly#English"
],
[
"eyes",
"eye#English"
],
[
"mind",
"mind#English"
],
[
"object",
"object#English"
],
[
"fact",
"fact#English"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"enpr": "dĭsûrnʹ",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/dɪˈsɝn/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"enpr": "dĭsûrnʹ",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/dɪˈsɜːn/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"homophone": "discern"
}
],
"word": "decern"
}
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English terms derived from French",
"English terms derived from Latin",
"English terms with homophones",
"English terms with transferred senses",
"English verbs",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"en:Law"
],
"derived": [
{
"english": "verbal substantive",
"word": "decerning"
},
{
"english": "Scots law",
"word": "decerniture"
},
{
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "decernment"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "-"
},
"expansion": "Middle English",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "fr",
"3": "décerner"
},
"expansion": "French décerner",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "dēcernō",
"4": "",
"5": "I decide, pronounce a decision"
},
"expansion": "Latin dēcernō (“I decide, pronounce a decision”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "cern"
},
"expansion": "English cern",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "-"
},
"expansion": "Old French",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "-"
},
"expansion": "English",
"name": "cog"
}
],
"etymology_text": "First attested in late Middle English circa 1425; from the French décerner, from the Latin dēcernō (“I decide, pronounce a decision”), from dē (“of, from, away from”) + cernō (“I separate, distinguish”), whence the English cern. In Old French, the forms of décerner were frequently conflated with those of descerner, discerner; the two verbs were not clearly distinguished until the 16th century; hence, in English also, decern is found with the sense discern.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "decerns",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "decerning",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "decerned",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "decerned",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "decern (third-person singular simple present decerns, present participle decerning, simple past and past participle decerned)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "decernent"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with obsolete senses",
"English transitive verbs"
],
"glosses": [
"To decide or determine (a matter disputed or doubtful), with simple object, with infinitive or object clause, or intransitive."
],
"links": [
[
"disputed",
"dispute#English"
],
[
"doubtful",
"doubtful#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(obsolete, chiefly transitive) To decide or determine (a matter disputed or doubtful), with simple object, with infinitive or object clause, or intransitive."
],
"tags": [
"obsolete",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English transitive verbs",
"en:Scots law"
],
"glosses": [
"To decree (something) by judicial sentence.",
"To decree by judicial sentence that something be done."
],
"links": [
[
"judicial",
"judicial#English"
],
[
"sentence",
"sentence#English"
]
],
"qualifier": "Scots law",
"raw_glosses": [
"(chiefly transitive, sometimes intransitive, Scots law) To decree (something) by judicial sentence.",
"To decree by judicial sentence that something be done."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"sometimes",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with obsolete senses",
"English transitive verbs",
"en:Scots law"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1668 July 3rd, James Dalrymple, “Thomas Rue contra Andrew Houſtoun” in The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion I (Edinburgh, 1683), pages 547–548",
"text": "He purſued Andrew Houſtoun upon his promiſe, to give him the like Sallary for the next year, and in abſence obtained him to be holden as confeſt and Decerned."
}
],
"glosses": [
"To decree (something) by judicial sentence.",
"To decree a person etc. to be or to do something by judicial sentence. (in the phrase “to decern in”, obsolete) To mulct in by decree of court."
],
"links": [
[
"judicial",
"judicial#English"
],
[
"sentence",
"sentence#English"
],
[
"mulct",
"mulct#English"
],
[
"court",
"court#English"
]
],
"qualifier": "Scots law",
"raw_glosses": [
"(chiefly transitive, sometimes intransitive, Scots law) To decree (something) by judicial sentence.",
"To decree a person etc. to be or to do something by judicial sentence. (in the phrase “to decern in”, obsolete) To mulct in by decree of court."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"sometimes",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with obsolete senses",
"English transitive verbs"
],
"glosses": [
"To discern; to distinguish or separate by differences (things that differ, or one thing from another)."
],
"links": [
[
"discern",
"discern#English"
],
[
"distinguish",
"distinguish#English"
],
[
"separate",
"separate#English"
],
[
"differences",
"difference#English"
],
[
"differ",
"differ#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(obsolete, transitive) To discern; to distinguish or separate by differences (things that differ, or one thing from another)."
],
"tags": [
"obsolete",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with obsolete senses",
"English transitive verbs"
],
"glosses": [
"To discern; to distinguish or separate by differences (things that differ, or one thing from another).",
"To distinguish; to discriminate between."
],
"links": [
[
"discern",
"discern#English"
],
[
"distinguish",
"distinguish#English"
],
[
"separate",
"separate#English"
],
[
"differences",
"difference#English"
],
[
"differ",
"differ#English"
],
[
"discriminate",
"discriminate#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(obsolete, transitive) To discern; to distinguish or separate by differences (things that differ, or one thing from another).",
"(intransitive) To distinguish; to discriminate between."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"obsolete",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"To see distinctly (with the eyes or the mind); distinguish (an object or fact); discern."
],
"links": [
[
"distinctly",
"distinctly#English"
],
[
"eyes",
"eye#English"
],
[
"mind",
"mind#English"
],
[
"object",
"object#English"
],
[
"fact",
"fact#English"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"enpr": "dĭsûrnʹ",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/dɪˈsɝn/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"enpr": "dĭsûrnʹ",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/dɪˈsɜːn/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"homophone": "discern"
}
],
"word": "decern"
}
Download raw JSONL data for decern meaning in All languages combined (6.1kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-06-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-06-01 using wiktextract (074e7de and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.