discreet

adjective dis·creet \ di-ˈskrēt \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

1 : having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct and especially in speech : prudent; especially : capable of preserving prudent silence

2 : unpretentious, modest

the warmth and discreet elegance of a civilized home
—Joseph Wechsberg

3 : unobtrusive, unnoticeable

followed at a discreet distance

—

discreetly

adverb

—

discreetness

noun

See discreet defined for English-language learners

See discreet defined for kids

Examples of discreet in a Sentence

For a couple who wanted a discreet bar between the study and the living room, Quogue, New York, architect Stuart Disston designed a small-scale bar that's hidden behind … doors under the stairs and takes advantage of plumbing in an adjacent powder room. —Sallie Brady, This Old House, January/February 2006
Without the knowledge of the exiled African National Congress leadership, he entered into a discreet dialogue with the South African government—which was reaching a similar conclusion. He later succeeded in convincing suspicious comrades of the need for a negotiated solution. —F. W. De Klerk, Time, 18 Apr. 2005
The New York Stock Exchange, meanwhile, has proposed a rule that would bar a stock-market analyst from talking to newspapers that fail to disclose the analyst's conflicts of interest. Even the C.E.O. of Goldman Sachs, one of Wall Street's most discreet firms, has chimed in … and has extorted his peers to restore "trust in our system." —New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2002
Discreet disclaimers by the tourist board to the effect that "there is no evidence whatever that Prince Vlad Tepes (TSEH-pesh), or Vlad the Impaler, inhabited the castle" do nothing to discourage its notoriety as Dracula's reputed residence. Mythically, at least, this is in fact where he lived—and always will. —Erik Sandberg-Diment, New York Times, 21 June 1998
he was very discreet, only saying what was necessary
with a discreet gesture, she signalled to her husband that she was ready to leave the party

Recent Examples of discreet from the Web

The bi-level establishment houses both a restaurant and craft cocktail bar, with a hidden whiskey divan behind a discreet door.

— christina liao, Vogue, "Where to Go to Savor Siu Yeh, Hong Kong’s Late-Night Meal," 10 Feb. 2018
Given the party’s official stance, PT delegates’ discussions over these and other names have been very discreet.

— déborah b.l. farias, Washington Post, "Lula da Silva is in jail — and he’s still Brazil’s leading candidate for president. Here are 3 ways that could turn out.," 16 Apr. 2018
Smoking e-cigs is more discreet and easier to get away with than traditional cigarettes.

— ana b. ibarra, sacbee, "These tiny inhalers could be a big health risk for students and teachers can't see them | The Sacramento Bee," 27 Mar. 2018
Smoking e-cigs is more discreet and easier to get away with than traditional cigarettes.

— NBC News, "Why "juuling" has become a nightmare for school administrators," 26 Mar. 2018
The San Francisco Department of Public Health issues health inspection scores on a 100-point scale, and restaurants may post scores in discreet locations.

— jonathan kauffman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Yelp’s food-safety alerts steer diners away from dirty restaurants, but also spark controversy," 8 Mar. 2018
Ben Nye's makeup is very discreet, and Margaret Donovan's hairstyles are correct.

— thr staff, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Sound of Music': THR's 1965 Review," 2 Mar. 2018
In a more discreet tussle within the ruling Democratic Party, Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni won the endorsement of ex-premier Romano Prodi at a rally in Bologna, a leftist stronghold, on Saturday.

— john follain, Bloomberg.com, "Berlusconi Coalition Shows Cracks as Leaders Skip Unity Rally," 18 Feb. 2018
The Chevy’s exterior design is discreet on the street, but a snorty exhaust note and a 4.5-second sprint from zero to 60 mph lend credence to its sleeper status.

— eric stafford, Car and Driver, "2017 Chevrolet SS," 7 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'discreet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of discreet

Middle English, from Anglo-French discret, from Medieval Latin discretus, from Latin, past participle of discernere to separate, distinguish between — more at discern

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year