indiscretion
Americannoun
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the characteristic or state of being indiscreet
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an indiscreet act, remark, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of indiscretion
1300–50; Middle English < Late Latin indiscrētiōn- (stem of indiscrētiō ). See in- 3, discretion
Explanation
If you commit an indiscretion you are doing something wrong that shows a lack of judgment. Perhaps stealing candy was your first indiscretion. Likely it will not be your last. You'll often hear the word indiscretion used when referring to politicians or public figures caught in a scandal. Used this way, the word implies poor judgment for both the wrong and the fact that the politician got caught. If you are going to commit an indiscretion, it's best to be a bit discreet, or subtle, about it.
Vocabulary lists containing indiscretion
The Call of the Wild
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A Doll's House
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The Importance of Being Earnest
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There follows a catalog of gaucheness and indiscretion.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Years later, he literally mobilized an army to prevent that brief indiscretion from destroying his political ambitions.
From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026
Instead, they’ve forced a recounting of all the times the royal family and the palace press have covered up, often with outright lies, scandal, indiscretion and health scares.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2024
Then, with 42 minutes on the clock, the referee was alerted to Rashford's indiscretion - the planting of his foot on Jelert's ankle in what appeared to be a mistimed attempt to shield the ball.
From BBC • Nov. 8, 2023
Every thing declared it; his own attentions, his father’s hints, his mother-in-law’s guarded silence; it was all in unison; words, conduct, discretion, and indiscretion, told the same story.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
