discrete

adjective

dis·​crete di-ˈskrēt 

ˈdis-ˌ

1

: constituting a separate entity or item

… breakups are not a discrete event but a series of stages.

—Isle McElroy

: individually distinct

several discrete sections

… treated these as discrete events, not as signs of a mounting problem.

—Hannah Dreier

2

a

: consisting of distinct or unconnected elements : noncontinuous

Production should be thought of as a continuous flow, rather than as batches of a discrete number of units.

—Douglas C. Brauer

b

: taking on or having a finite or countably infinite number of values

discrete probabilities

a discrete random variable

Note: Do not confuse discrete with discreet, which typically means "cautious and restrained" or "unobtrusive."

discretely adverb

discreteness noun

Synonyms of discrete

• single
• separate
• detached

Choose the Right Synonym for discrete

distinct, separate, discrete mean not being each and every one the same.

distinct indicates that something is distinguished by the mind or eye as being apart or different from others.

two distinct versions

separate often stresses lack of connection or a difference in identity between two things.

separate rooms

discrete strongly emphasizes individuality and lack of connection.

broke the job down into discrete stages

Examples of discrete in a Sentence

The idea is to disconnect the memory from the reactions to the memory, so that although the memory of the traumatic event remains, the everyday things that can trigger fear and panic, such as trash blowing across the interstate or a car backfiring … are restored to insignificance. The trauma thus becomes a discrete event, not a constant, self-replicating, encompassing condition. —Sue Halpern, New Yorker, 19 May 2008

Eliminating stress entirely is not an option. If there are discrete sources of stress in your life—a relationship, a job, a health problem—you can and should take action to try to mitigate them. But my experience is that we all are subject to a kind of conservation law of stress. If stress recedes in one area, it seems to increase in another. —Time, 17 Oct. 2005

The newer, digital phones broadcast their communications in discrete bursts of energy, whereas analog devices employ continuous signals. —Janet Raloff, Science News, 12 Feb. 2000

several discrete sections to this vast medical complex, including a college of pharmacology and a research center

Recent Examples on the Web

Annemarie Cortez, the principal at an elementary school in Corona, California, told me that many administrators are instructing teachers not to assign full books; they’re supposed to be running discrete reading drills with short excerpts. — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Most enterprises are trying to monitor this with observability infrastructure built for a fundamentally different world, discrete transactions, batch processes and human-speed workflows. — Andi Mann, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

These are discrete allegations of lawbreaking, and any remedy must match their magnitude. — David B McGarry, Oc Register, 8 July 2026

Put simply, during the training process copies of these works are downloaded and stored before being broken down into discrete units called tokens. — Zoey Forbes, The Dial, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English discrete, discret, discreet — more at discreet

Note: The adjective discrete is etymologically identical with discreet, of which it was originally a simple spelling variant. The consistent discrimination of the two senses by spelling, with discrete corresponding more closely to classical Latin in both form and meaning, dates from the 18th century.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for discrete

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

Kids Definition

discrete

adjective

dis·​crete dis-ˈkrēt 

ˈdis-ˌkrēt

: distinct sense 1, separate

several discrete sections

discretely adverb

discreteness noun

Medical Definition

discrete

adjective

dis·​crete dis-ˈkrēt, ˈdis-ˌ 

: characterized by distinct unconnected lesions

discrete smallpox

compare confluent sense 2