Here's a breakdown of the meaning:
* Perceive: To become aware of something through the senses or the mind.
* Recognize: To identify something as known or familiar.
* Not immediately obvious: Something that is hidden, subtle, or difficult to understand.
Examples:
* "She discerned a subtle change in his demeanor."
* "The detective discerned a clue in the seemingly random pattern of footprints."
* "The scientist discerned a new pattern in the data."
Synonyms:
* Detect
* Identify
* Recognize
* Perceive
* Notice
* Understand
* Figure out
* See
Antonyms:
* Miss
* Overlook
* Ignore
* Fail to see
In short, "discerned" means to carefully observe and understand something that is not easily apparent.