discreet
judicious in one's conduct or speech, especially with regard to respecting privacy or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature; prudent; circumspect.
showing prudence and circumspection; decorous: a discreet silence.
modestly unobtrusive; unostentatious: a discreet, finely wrought gold necklace.
Origin of discreet
1synonym study For discreet
word story For discreet
Discrete, “apart or detached from others; separate; distinct,” was originally a spelling doublet of discreet, sharing meanings and both deriving from the same Latin source. The spelling discrete is closer in form to Latin discrētus and is probably an attempt to differentiate discreet from discrete.
The Middle English Dictionary has two senses at the headword discrēt(e): the sense “wise, morally discerning, prudent, circumspect” has 29 citations; the sense “separate, distinct” has four (in angelology, astronomy, and mathematics).
It wasn’t until the late 16th century that discrete became restricted to its present meanings, leaving the spelling discreet to predominate in its own current uses.
Opposites for discreet
Other words from discreet
- dis·creet·ly, adverb
- dis·creet·ness, noun
- o·ver·dis·creet, adjective
- o·ver·dis·creet·ness, noun
- qua·si-dis·creet, adjective
Words that may be confused with discreet
- discreet , discrete
Words Nearby discreet
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use discreet in a sentence
His timing was cautious, and the bar was a discreet 50-foot walk from the hotel.
Welcome to The Angel, one of the pay-by-the-hour lodgings offering a discreet haven for trysts and visits with dominatrixes.
Though Billings was discreet about his sexual orientation, it was well known throughout Washington.
The duchess herself said her grandmother had been extremely discreet about what her job during the war entailed.
Kate Middleton’s Code-Breaking Granny: Duchess Uncovers Wartime Secrets | Tim Teeman | June 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTStep forward the men in white coats, those discreet cosmetic surgeons, the witch doctors of our age.
Nicole Kidman Botox Insanity: Why All Women Lose Out When We Obsess Over Stars’ Faces | Emma Woolf | May 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Of course they would stop for the wedding; but meantime she must be very discreet; she must not intrude too much.
Confidence | Henry James"Oh, they were quite safe in my case, not being a mangeur de cœurs," replied the discreet young nobleman.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsBut a knock at the door interrupted them; the discreet Capt entered, bearing a telegram upon a salver.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsAs she walked along the chill promenade she looked with discreet curiosity at every woman she met, to see her condition.
Hilda Lessways | Arnold BennettSpunyarn, who was to accompany his friend, at a discreet distance was laughing and chatting merrily with the younger girl.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James Wills
British Dictionary definitions for discreet
/ (dɪˈskriːt) /
careful to avoid social embarrassment or distress, esp by keeping confidences secret; tactful
unobtrusive
Origin of discreet
1confusable For discreet
Derived forms of discreet
- discreetly, adverb
- discreetness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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