discreet or discrete? Though they are pronounced the same and look very similar, these two words have distinct and different meanings. When used of people, discreet means ‘careful, reliable, and not likely to gossip’ (Can we rely on her to be discreet?): when used about actions, it means ‘unlikely to attract attention’ (We have made a few discreet inquiries). Discrete is a more technical word meaning ‘separate’ or ‘individually distinct’: The process can be broken down into a number of discrete stages.