Discrete, or Discreet?

12 Oct 2010

This is a pair of commonly confused homophones with decidedly different definitions.

Discrete, from Dictionary.com:

[dih-skreet]
–adjective
1.
apart or detached from others; separate; distinct: six discrete parts.
2.
consisting of or characterized by distinct or individual parts; discontinuous.
3.
Mathematics .
a.
(of a topology or topological space) having the property that every subset is an open set.
b.
defined only for an isolated set of points: a discrete variable.
c.
using only arithmetic and algebra; not involving calculus: discrete methods.

Discrete would be used in a sentence as follows:

The supervisor made it clear to her employee, who was also her lover, that job performance and sexual performance were discrete matters.

Discreet, from Dictionary.com:

[dih-skreet]
–adjective
1.
judicious in one's conduct or speech, esp. with regard to respecting privacy or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature; prudent; circumspect.
2.
showing prudence and circumspection; decorous: a discreet silence.
3.
modestly unobtrusive; unostentatious: a discreet, finely wrought gold necklace.

Discreet would be used in a sentence as follows:

The supervisor and her employee kept their affair discreet.

Maggie R

12 Oct 2010

And just to complicate things a little more, there is discretion, from Dictionary.com

–noun
1.
the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment; freedom of judgment or choice: It is entirely within my discretion whether I will go or stay.
2.
the quality of being discreet, esp. with reference to one's own actions or speech; prudence or decorum: Throwing all discretion to the winds, he blurted out the truth.
—Idiom
3.
at discretion, at one's option or pleasure: They were allowed to work overtime at discretion.