Synonyms of discrete

discrete

adjective

di-ˈskrēt 

as in single

not physically attached to another unit

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• single
• separate
• detached
• private
• unconnected
• independent
• free
• individual
• disconnected
• freestanding
• unattached
• self-contained

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• connected
• joined
• attached
• linked
• adjoining

Synonym Chooser

How is the word discrete different from other adjectives like it?

The words distinct and separate are common synonyms of discrete. While all three words mean "not being each and every one the same," discrete strongly emphasizes individuality and lack of connection.

broke the job down into discrete stages

When can distinct be used instead of discrete?

The meanings of distinct and discrete largely overlap; however, distinct indicates that something is distinguished by the mind or eye as being apart or different from others.

two distinct versions

When could separate be used to replace discrete?

The synonyms separate and discrete are sometimes interchangeable, but separate often stresses lack of connection or a difference in identity between two things.

separate rooms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of discrete

Collaged together out of discrete moments from the trio’s 2024 tour, their new live cassette balances their ambient inclinations with heavyweight bass and forceful rhythms. —Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 15 Jan. 2026

Our nuclear reality is the sum of many discrete policy decisions made by policymakers across the world’s nuclear states. —Davis Winkie, USA Today, 6 Jan. 2026

The researchers focused on true tessellations, in which geometric tiles are discrete structural pieces separated by softer seams, rather than purely visual or hollow patterns such as animal coloration or honeycombs. —Anirban Mukhopadhyay, Scientific American, 5 Jan. 2026

Digital networks and algorithmic curation have fragmented public life into discrete informational universes. —Klaus Schwab, Time, 5 Jan. 2026