Crafty Words: Discrete vs. Discreet
Doctors and nurses must be ____________ (discrete/discreet) and avoid giving away patient information to others.
I spent some time this week taking proofreading tests, and almost every single one included a question about the difference between these two words. Unfortunately, it tripped me up almost every time! So I did some studying, and now I’ll pass on what I learned to you!
So what is the difference between discrete and discreet?
Discreet (adj.) means quiet, careful, or unobtrusive. You can be discreet by quietly turning off your cell phone before a movie starts. You show discretion (n.) when people can trust you with their secrets.
Discrete (adj.) means separate, distinct, or set apart. Algebra problems contain discrete steps known as PEMDAS (parentheses, exponents, multiply and divide, then add and subtract). It’s best to keep your work and home life discrete and separate.
Merriam-Webster gives a helpful tip: remember that the “t” in discrete separates the “e’s”!
Etymology
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, both discrete and discreet find their origin in the same place, as borrowings from the French discret and Latin discrētus. The word in 14th century French describes someone who was wise and good at keeping secrets, while the 14th century Latin denoted something distinct which did not follow something else.
Back in the Wild West days of spelling, these two words could be spelled the same way, but they always had two discrete meanings. “Discreet” seemed to follow more closely to the French usage of good at keeping secrets, while “discrete” seemed to continue on the Latin meaning of something set apart.
The words finally got their own distinct spellings in the 18th century when dictionaries picked up in popularity, and the rest is history!
Example Sentences
“Well, you’ll have to learn these things. I made very discreet inquiries and you would never guess. She is the—well—the owner of a house of ill fame.” - East of Eden, John Steinbeck
“My uncle had two discrete eyebrows—not a single connecting hair between them—which was deeply reassuring, because I had always worried about growing a Persian Unibrow.” - Darius the Great, Adib Khorram
Mini-Quiz
Which sentence contains incorrect usage?
The company made over 5,000 separate, discreet sales of over $500 each last year.
Surprisingly, these discreet business transactions went on for 50 years before they were exposed by a journalist.
The company is made up of discrete teams which nevertheless work together towards a common goal.
Video games contain such discrete elements as graphics, voice work, sound design, and programming.
Answer: (1)
