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

If organization is top of mind, this shoe storage cabinet can hold up to 16 pairs and has a discrete design, and this double bookcase has 12 individual shelves to display decor. —Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 25 July 2025

And so, classes in discrete math were like that for me. —Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2025

There were also images and videos taken from a discrete location, possibly behind foliage or a balcony, of children at a public pool, the report read. —Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 18 July 2025

The three sections, ‘The Garden,’ ‘The Replica,’ and ‘Then Roses,’ contain several discrete instances of restaging the same poem – ‘The Twenty-First Century,’ ‘Author’s Myth,’ ‘Borges Sells Me the Apple, Sells Me the World’ – as Sisyphean attempts. —Matthew Carey Salyer, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025