discreetly

[dih-skreet-lee]

adverb

1. in a way that is careful about something of a personal or delicate nature; circumspectly.

   These protocols allow patients to have private conversations with caregivers in which their questions can be answered discreetly.

2. in a way that is not conspicuous or obvious; unobtrusively.

   The building is historic, as explained on the understated bronze plaque displayed discreetly in the entryway.

Other Word Forms

• overdiscreetly adverb
• quasi-discreetly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of discreetly¹

discreet ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

The property is discreetly walled and gated and surrounded by mature foliage.

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The decision for the party is in part whether it wants a politician who will represent members' voices from outside the top echelons of government, or perhaps more discreetly, from the inside.

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By the outbreak of the current war, Qatar had pumped approximately $1.8 billion into Gaza while funneling millions “discreetly” to Hamas’s leadership.

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The language allowed deaf, gay people to communicate discreetly.

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At the meeting point, the employee is approached by a man - or occasionally a woman - who discreetly hands over a sealed envelope containing the money before vanishing without further interaction.

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Related Words

• anxiously 
• attentively 
• conscientiously www.thesaurus.com
• correctly www.thesaurus.com
• deliberately 
• delicately 
• faithfully 
• fully 
• gingerly 
• laboriously 
• meticulously 
• precisely 
• prudently 
• rigorously 
• scrupulously 
• thoroughly 
• thoughtfully www.thesaurus.com
• warily