discreet

English

Etymology

From Middle English discrete, from Old French discret, from Latin discrētus, from past participle of discernere. Doublet of discrete.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪˈskɹiːt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːt
• Homophone: discrete

Adjective

discreet (comparative more discreet or discreeter, superlative most discreet or discreetest)

1. Respectful of privacy or secrecy; exercising caution in order to avoid causing embarrassment; quiet; diplomatic.

   With a discreet gesture, she reminded him to mind his manners.

   John just doesn't understand that laughing at Mary all day is not very discreet.

2. Not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous.

Usage notes

• Although cognate and identical in the Middle English period, the term has become distinct from discrete.

Derived terms

• discreetly

Related terms

• discretion

Translations

respectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic

• Bulgarian: дискретен (bg) (diskreten), тактичен (bg) (taktičen)
• Catalan: discret (ca)
• Danish: diskret
• Dutch: discreet (nl)
• Finnish: hienotunteinen (fi), hienovarainen, tahdikas (fi), diskreetti (fi)
• French: discret (fr)
• Galician: discreto m
• German: diskret (de)
• Greek: διακριτική (el) f (diakritikí), διακριτικός (el) m (diakritikós) , δισκρετ n (diskret)
• Hungarian: diszkrét (hu), tapintatos (hu), titoktartó (hu)
• Macedonian: дискре́тен (diskréten), та́ктичен (táktičen)
• Polish: dyskretny (pl)
• Portuguese: discreto (pt)
• Romanian: discret (ro)
• Russian: такти́чный (ru) (taktíčnyj)
• Spanish: discreto (es)
• Swedish: diskret (sv)
• Turkish: ölçülü (tr) (literally “well-balanced”)

not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous

• Bulgarian: предпазлив (bg) (predpazliv), сдържан (bg) (sdǎržan)
• Catalan: discret (ca)
• Danish: diskret
• Finnish: hillitty (fi), diskreetti (fi)
• French: discret (fr)
• Galician: discreto m
• German: diskret (de)
• Macedonian: пре́тпазлив (prétpazliv), здр́жан (zdŕžan), благора́зумен (blagorázumen)
• Polish: dyskretny (pl)
• Portuguese: discreto (pt)
• Romanian: discret (ro)
• Russian: незаметный (ru) (nezametnyj), неброский (ru) (nebroskij)
• Swedish: diskret (sv)
• Ukrainian: стриманий m (strymanyj)

Anagrams

• desertic, discrete

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch discreet, from Old French discret, from Medieval Latin discrētus, from discernō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪsˈkreːt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: dis‧creet
• Rhymes: -eːt

Adjective

discreet (comparative discreter, superlative discreetst)

1. discreet (with discretion)
2. discrete (not continuous)

Inflection

Declension of discreet
uninflected	discreet
inflected	discrete
comparative	discreter
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		discreet	discreter	het discreetst het discreetste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	discrete	discretere	discreetste
	n. sing.	discreet	discreter	discreetste
	plural	discrete	discretere	discreetste
definite		discrete	discretere	discreetste
partitive		discreets	discreters	—

Derived terms

• discretie