Discernment is a masculine noun meaning the act of discern or make an appraisal in relation to something. It is synonymous with criterion, choice, reflection,
This word comes from Latin discern, which means to set aside, divide or separate. Discerning is knowing or seeing distinctly, evaluating, distinguishing between two or more things.
Discernment can also be classified as a judgment which is used to distinguish between various things.
A person with good judgment has the insight, cunning, and wit to understand certain things or to make the right choices. Ex: After the accident, he still had the insight to run away before the car exploded.
spiritual discernment
In the realm of religion, spiritual discernment or discernment of spirits is a gift given by God, recognized by some denominations (especially the charismatic ones).
Spiritual discernment enables the gifted person to identify the types of spirits that manifest in a given situation. Furthermore, this supernatural gift lets you know if a person is influenced by an evil spirit, even if it is not manifesting. In church, some people may also enjoy receiving attention, so they may fake outpourings of the Holy Spirit. In these cases, a person with the gift of spiritual discernment will be able to tell whether a certain attitude comes from the Holy Spirit or from the human will.
vocational discernment
Within Catholicism, the expression vocational discernment is a way for a potential priest of the Catholic Church to identify his vocation and choose the best path to follow. This person must be emotionally, sexually and affectively balanced, and mature both intellectually and morally. This kind of discernment allows the person in question to know where God intends him to exercise his calling.