## Etymology
From discreet + -ness; discreet from Latin discretus ('separated, discerning'), past participle of discernere ('to distinguish'), from dis- ('apart') + cernere ('to sift').

## AI Etymology
Discreetness is from discreet + -ness; discreet from Latin discretus ('separated, discerning'), past participle of discernere ('to distinguish'), from dis- ('apart') + cernere ('to sift'). The ancestry passes through Latin discretus and Latin cernere. The prefix dis- often marks separation, reversal, or negation in Latin and English formations, helping to explain the word's surface structure; the suffix -ness marks an abstract noun of quality or state, so the English form is shaped by recognizable word formation as well as by its inherited or borrowed base. In present use as a noun, it means "the quality of being careful and prudent in speech or conduct", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include discreet, discretion, and discrete.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown

discreetness

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

External links

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback