Who doesn't love a good pair of homophones? Here is the lowdown on discreet and discrete, two words that are easy to confuse if you aren't careful.
Discreet is an adjective that describes when someone is acting wisely or with reserve. The noun form of discreet is discretion.
· Always be discreet when you're visiting your in-laws.
· I decided to be discreet and wait until my boss was in a good mood to ask for a raise.
· I was so glad that he showed discretion in his choice of outfit for the wedding.
Discrete is an adjective that tells you that two things are separate or different from one another. The noun form of discrete is discreteness.
· The machine is composed of discrete parts.
· Even though they were married, they had discrete lifestyles.
A good way to remember the difference between these two words is that discrete has a t between the two e's, and the e's are therefore discrete from one another.
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