discreet

[dih-skreet]

adjective

1. judicious in one's conduct or speech, especially with regard to respecting privacy or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature; prudent; circumspect.

   Antonyms: indiscreet

2. showing prudence and circumspection; decorous.

   a discreet silence.

3. modestly unobtrusive; unostentatious.

   a discreet, finely wrought gold necklace.

discreet

/ dɪˈskriːt /

adjective

1. careful to avoid social embarrassment or distress, esp by keeping confidences secret; tactful

2. unobtrusive

Confusables Note

See discrete

Other Word Forms

• discreetly adverb
• discreetness noun
• overdiscreet adjective
• overdiscreetness noun
• quasi-discreet adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of discreet¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English discret, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Medieval Latin discrētus, Latin: “separated,” past participle of discernere “to separate,” from dis- dis- ¹ + cernere “to decide, separate, sift”; discern

Word History and Origins

Origin of discreet¹

C14: from Old French discret, from Medieval Latin discrētus, from Latin discernere to _discern

Synonym Study

See careful.

Example Sentences

However, cabotegravir is given as jab, usually six times a year or every other month, making it potentially more convenient and discreet.

Read more on BBC

"He had an arrangement, be discreet and don't be blatant / There had to be payment, it had to be with strangers."

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Initially, Israel offered discreet support to Hamas, seeing it as a useful counterweight to the PLO and its dominant faction, Fatah, led at the time by Yasser Arafat.

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“I think that in a certain way he loved me. We were a couple,” Freymond said, adding that they were “extremely discreet” about the relationship.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The union that represents pilots at American Airlines on Friday advised members to be discreet online after some pilots were removed from their schedules following inflammatory social-media posts.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• attentive 
• careful 
• considerate 
• intelligent 
• noncommittal 
• prudent 
• reasonable 
• restrained 
• tactful 
• thoughtful 
• watchful 

When To Use

What’s the difference between discreet and discrete?

Discreet most commonly means tactful, prudent, or careful to avoid revealing things that may cause embarrassment, such as when communicating sensitive information, as in a discreet message or You can tell her, but be discreet about it. Discrete means separate or distinct, as in discrete concepts or discrete parts.Less commonly, discreet can also mean unobtrusive—a modest necklace may be described as discreet. In all cases, the word discreet is used in situations in which an effort is made to avoid calling attention to someone or something. When you’re being discreet, you’re showing discretion.Discrete, on the other hand, is typically used in technical, non-personal contexts. It has more specific meanings in the context of math and statistics.Here’s a fun way to remember the difference: in discreet, the two e’s are right next to each other—the one e looks like it’s discreetly whispering something in the other’s ear. In discrete, the two e’s are kept separate by the t in the middle.Here’s an example of discreet and discrete used correctly in a sentence.Example: He mistakenly thought the two parts were discrete, but I told him that they are in fact connected—in a discreet way, of course.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between discreet and discrete.