discreet

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /dɪˈskrit/ UK /dɪˈskriːt/ See IPA manual

Homophones

discrete /dɪˈskrit/

Meanings

1

adj
careful and prudent, especially to avoid causing offence

She made a discreet inquiry about the matter.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · careful and prudent,... prudent circumspect tactful cautious careful judicious guarded politic

Opposites

indiscreet tactless rash incautious careless imprudent

Word family

Derived forms discreetly discreetness

Related forms discretion discrete discern

Etymology

From Old French discret, from Latin discretus ('separated, distinguished'), past participle of discernere ('to separate, distinguish'), from dis- ('apart') + cernere ('to sift, distinguish').

discretus Latin cernere Latin *krey- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# discreet

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈskrit/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈskriːt/

## Meanings
1. careful and prudent, especially to avoid causing offence

## Examples
- She made a discreet inquiry about the matter.

## Synonyms
- prudent
- circumspect
- tactful
- cautious
- careful
- judicious
- guarded
- politic

## Antonyms
- indiscreet
- tactless
- rash
- incautious
- careless
- imprudent

## Derived Forms
- discreetly
- discreetness

## Related Forms
- discretion
- discrete
- discern

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: discretus
- Root: cernere
- Root: *krey-

## Etymology
From Old French discret, from Latin discretus ('separated, distinguished'), past participle of discernere ('to separate, distinguish'), from dis- ('apart') + cernere ('to sift, distinguish').

## AI Etymology
Discreet is from Old French discret, from Latin discretus ('separated, distinguished'), past participle of discernere ('to separate, distinguish'), from dis- ('apart') + cernere ('to sift, distinguish'). In present-day use, it means careful and prudent, especially to avoid causing offence. Derived formations include discreetly and discreetness. Related vocabulary includes discretion, discrete, and discern.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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