discernment stresses accuracy (as in reading character or motives or appreciating art).
the discernment to know true friends
discrimination stresses the power to distinguish and select what is true or appropriate or excellent.
the discrimination that develops through listening to a lot of great music
perception implies quick and often sympathetic discernment (as of shades of feeling).
a novelist of keen perception into human motives
penetration implies a searching mind that goes beyond what is obvious or superficial.
lacks the penetration to see the scorn beneath their friendly smiles
insight suggests depth of discernment coupled with understanding sympathy.
a documentary providing insight into the plight of the homeless
acumen implies characteristic penetration combined with keen practical judgment.
a director of reliable box-office acumen
Example Sentences
It is ironic that the impact of smoking on nonsmokers, rather than on smokers themselves, is what finally transformed the regulation and cultural perception of the cigarette. Allan M. Brandt, The Cigarette Century, 2007Some drugs cause blurred vision and changes in color perception, or increased tears. Sallie Tisdale, Harper's, June 2007The urge of these acolytes is not dramatic but mercantile—to traduce all personal history, to subvert all perception or insight, into gain, or the hope of gain. David Mamet, Jafsie and John Henry Essays, 1999Everything is research for the sake of erudition. No one is taught to value himself for nice perception and cultivated taste. Robert Frost, letter, 2 Jan. 1915 a writer of considerable perception, she remembers how it feels to be confused and insecure a growing perception of the enormity of the problem See More
Recent Examples on the WebAnd this week, in the run-up to releasing a paperback edition of her book, My Body, Ratajkowski has been peppering in a flurry of observations about gender and sexuality, pleasure and power, attention and perception. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 7 Sep. 2022 So this perception of all millennials being superficial, lazy doesn't necessarily hold true.CBS News, 7 Sep. 2022 No matter how many evangelical preachers are caught in love nests, no matter how much un-Jesus-like hatred some of them spew from their pulpits—this perception will never be dislodged. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2022 Failure to meet those expectations could turn the perception around him quickly. David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2022 Getting run out of the building by Georgia is going to leave a mark, though, and could color a season-long national perception of Oregon and, to a lesser extent, the Pac-12 at large. Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 4 Sep. 2022 Yet, a major barrier to intervention is the perception adults hold about Black girls. Andrea Joseph-mccatty, The Conversation, 1 Sep. 2022 Quarterback John Colvin might be changing that perception. Anton Williams, al, 1 Sep. 2022 That perception doesn’t change a lot with this valiant Netflix adaptation. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Latin perception-, perceptio act of perceiving, from percipere — see perceive