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discrete

[ dih-skreet ]
/ dɪˈskrit /
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See synonyms for: discrete / discretely / discreteness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
apart or detached from others; separate; distinct: six discrete parts.
consisting of or characterized by distinct or individual parts; discontinuous.
Mathematics.
  1. (of a topology or topological space) having the property that every subset is an open set.
  2. defined only for an isolated set of points: a discrete variable.
  3. using only arithmetic and algebra; not involving calculus: discrete methods.
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Origin of discrete

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin discrētus separated; see discreet

OTHER WORDS FROM discrete

dis·crete·ly, adverbdis·crete·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH discrete

discreet, discrete
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use discrete in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for discrete

discrete
/ (dɪsˈkriːt) /

adjective
separate or distinct in form or concept
consisting of distinct or separate parts
statistics
  1. (of a variable) having consecutive values that are not infinitesimally close, so that its analysis requires summation rather than integration
  2. (of a distribution) relating to a discrete variableCompare continuous (def. 4)

Derived forms of discrete

discretely, adverbdiscreteness, noun

Word Origin for discrete

C14: from Latin discrētus separated, set apart; see discreet

undefined discrete

Avoid confusion with discreet
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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