discreet (English)

Where does "discreet" come from?

The English adjective 'discreet' traces its lineage through Middle English 'discrete'[1] and Old French 'discret'[1] to the Latin past participle 'discrētus'[1], meaning 'separate'[2]. This Latin root originates from the verb 'discernō'[3], formed by combining 'dis-' meaning 'apart' with 'cernō' meaning 'see'[4]. It shares a doublet relationship with the word 'discrete'.

Full etymology tree

• discreet (English), 'Respectful of privacy or secrecy; exercising caution in order to avoid causing embarrassment; quiet; diplomatic.'
  • inherited discrete (Middle English)
    • borrowed discret (Old French), 'different (not identical)'
      • borrowed discretus (Latin), 'separated'
        • derived discerno (Latin), 'to separate, set apart, divide, part'
          • prefix dis- (Latin), 'asunder, apart, in two'
          • affix cerno (Latin), 'to distinguish, divide, separate, sift'

Ancestors

• *krey- (Proto-Indo-European)
• discret (Old French)
• discretus (Latin)

Cognates and doublets

• discrete (English)

Descendants and derived words

• discreetly (English)
• discreetness (English)
• indiscreet (English)
• ultradiscreet (English)
• undiscreet (English)

Sources

1. discreet (English) - Wiktionary
2. discret (Old French) - Wiktionary
3. discretus (Latin) - Wiktionary
4. discerno (Latin) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris