DISCRETE Synonyms: 17 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

discrete

adjective

di-ˈskrēt

Definition of discrete next

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

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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

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of discrete On the final day of the assembly, delegates ranged through the atrium and two adjoining rooms, voting on more than four dozen discrete recommendations written on sheets of white paper hung from walls and windows. —

Nick Romeo, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2024 For cybersecurity, this means that quantum computers are closer to breaking traditional cryptographic methods like RSA and ECC, which rely on the computational infeasibility of factoring large numbers or solving discrete logarithms. —

Abdo Riani, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024 The suit look featured a black blazer with a high-waisted skirt, featuring two discrete thigh-high slits near the front-facing hemline. —

Julia Teti, WWD, 17 Dec. 2024 Mizrahi finds looks that whisper elegance versus screaming it from the rooftops—think discrete laces or embellishments that offer a subtle shimmer. —

Christian Allaire, Vogue, 17 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for discrete

Recent Examples of Synonyms for discrete

Adjective

After spending Thursday trying to sway Republican holdouts to back his bid to retain the speaker's gavel, Mike Johnson's future could still come down to a single GOP vote Friday when House holds elects a new leader as the 119th Congress begins.

Lauren Peller, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2025
Share [Findings] Scientists trained subjects to exercise control over a single neuron, linked the hippocampus to regret, and concluded that humans smell in stereo.

Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025