Synonyms of discrete

discrete

adjective

di-ˈskrēt 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• single
• separate
• detached
• private
• unconnected
• independent
• free
• individual
• disconnected
• freestanding
• unattached
• self-contained

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• connected
• joined
• attached
• linked
• adjoining

Synonym Chooser

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of discrete

These storms will begin to fire up during the early to mid-afternoon as discrete supercellular storms, growing into clusters of storms during the evening. —Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 3 May 2025

Look for a discrete and sleek pair in a neutral hue. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2025

President Trump on Friday denounced critics who have raised concern over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal, a discrete messaging app, to disseminate sensitive military information. —Steff Danielle Thomas, The Hill, 26 Apr. 2025

Rather than discrete events with a beginning, a middle, and an end, wars might be better understood as the result of poor and dysfunctional political relations that are difficult to manage by nonviolent means. —Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2025