Discreet vs. Discrete: What’s the Difference?

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Does discreet vs. discrete ever trip you up?

As commonly confused words, discreet and discrete seem like they should mean the same thing, but they don’t. Discreet is a more formal word meaning “careful in dress or behavior.” Discrete is an adjective that means “separate.”

People get confused because they sound the same, but they’re spelled differently and have different meanings, i.e., they’re homophones.

In this blog post, I will take a closer look at these words and their differences and provide you with examples of how to use them correctly.

Table of Contents

What Is the Difference between Discreet and Discrete?

Discreet and discrete both originated from the Latin word discretus, which is the past participle of discernere which means “to separate” or “to discern.” First known usage of these words dates back to the 14th century; however, discreet became more popular over the years. Nowadays, these words can’t be used interchangeably.

While discreet is better known in general use, discrete is more often used in technical writing.

What Does Discreet Mean?

Discreet means showing discernment in conduct or speech or being unpretentious or unobtrusive.

As an adjective, discreet is usually used with reference to people but also may apply to objects (such as paintings) or places where something needs to be kept secret.

The adverb form of discreet is discretely and the noun form is discretion. (You would be forgiven for using discretion incorrectly because its spelling is very close to discrete.)

However, discretion is used in a lot of idioms so that makes it a bit easier to remember; for example, “the soul of discretion,” “at one’s discretion,” and “an ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit.”

Examples of Discreet in a Sentence

She’s quite discreet about her past relationships.
The company wants one discreet investigator for this job, since they don’t want any public notice given its controversial nature.
The officials made a discreet inquiry into his background before hiring him.

What Does Discrete Mean?

Discrete means distinct, unconnected, or individual.

In mathematics and logic, discrete often denotes “having finite aspects and countable differences.” In more general usage, it can mean “separate,” as in having no particular connection to anything else.

The adverb form of discrete is discretely and the noun form is discreteness.

If you’re still having trouble remembering when to use discrete, try using its synonym “separate” instead.

Examples of Discrete in a Sentence

The responsibilities are divided into three discrete categories.
The board’s decision to divest itself of the discrete operations was based on minimal long-term profits.
Discrete mathematics is the study of mathematical structures that are distinct or separable rather than continuous.

Discreet vs. Discrete Quiz

Choose the best word to complete each sentence. The answers are at the bottom of this blog post.

She had hoped for a discreet/discrete wedding so as not to upset her family.
The book was composed of three discreet/discrete parts that had nothing to do with each other, so it was confusing.
He discreetly/discretely kept his baseball card collection in a discreet/discrete box from his other collections, so they wouldn’t be found by anyone who came into his room.
The paintings were discovered only after his death when they were discreetly/discretely offered to the museum.
Even though he was a gamer, he didn’t know the difference between a discreet/discrete graphics card and an integrated one.

Final Thoughts on Discreet vs. Discrete

The words discreet and discrete sound alike, so it’s easy to understand why some writers get confused by this pair of homophones. To sum up, the word discrete means “separate,” while discreet refers to someone who is self-controlled and acts with propriety at all times. Discreet is most often used in general writing and conversation, whereas discrete is used primarily in technical writing.

Discreet vs. Discrete Quiz Answers

She had hoped for a discreet wedding so as not to upset her family.
The book was composed of three discrete parts that had nothing to do with each other, so it was confusing.
He discreetly kept his baseball card collection in a discrete box from his other collections, so they wouldn’t be found by anyone who came into his room.
The paintings were discovered only after his death when they were discreetly offered to the museum.
Even though he was a gamer, he didn’t know the difference between a discrete graphics card and an integrated one.