[syn: circumspect, discreet]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Discreet \Dis*creet"\, a. [Compar. Discreeter; superl.
Discreetest.] [F. discret, L. discretus separated (whence
the meaning reserved, prudent), p. p. of discernere. See
Discern, and cf. Discrete.]
1. Possessed of discernment, especially in avoiding error or
evil, and in the adaptation of means to ends; prudent;
sagacious; judicious; not rash or heedless; cautious.
[1913 Webster]
It is the discreet man, not the witty, nor the
learned, nor the brave, who guides the conversation,
and gives measures to society. --Addison.
[1913 Webster]
Satire 's my weapon, but I 'm too discreet
To run amuck, and tilt at all I meet. --Pope.
[1913 Webster]
The sea is silent, the sea is discreet.
--Longfellow.
[1913 Webster]
2. Differing; distinct. [Obs.] --Spenser. -- Dis*creet"ly,
adv. -- Dis*creet"ness, n. Discrepance
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
discreet
adj 1: marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint;
"his trusted discreet aide"; "a discreet, finely wrought
gold necklace" [ant: indiscreet]
2: unobtrusively perceptive and sympathetic; "a discerning
editor"; "a discreet silence" [syn: discerning, discreet]
3: heedful of potential consequences; "circumspect actions";
"physicians are now more circumspect about recommending its
use"; "a discreet investor" [syn: circumspect, discreet]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
108 Moby Thesaurus words for "discreet":
Olympian, aloof, backward, bashful, blank, calculating, canny,
careful, cautious, chary, chilled, chilly, circumspect, close,
closemouthed, cold, considerate, constrained, controlled, cool,
dark, deliberate, detached, diplomatic, discriminating,
discriminative, distant, dry, enlightened, evasive, expressionless,
forbidding, frigid, frosty, gingerly, guarded, heedful, hesitant,
icy, impassive, impersonal, inaccessible, introverted, judgmatic,
judicial, judicious, leaving out nothing, mindful, moderate,
modest, noncommittal, offish, on guard, overlooking no possibility,
pawky, politic, provident, prudent, prudential, reasonable,
reflecting, reflective, regardful, remote, removed, repressed,
reserved, restrained, reticent, retiring, safe, secret, secretive,
shifty, shrinking, simple, slow to act, standoff, standoffish,
subdued, suppressed, tactful, temperate, tentative, thorough,
thoughtful, unadorned, unadventurous, unaffable, unapproachable,
uncommunicative, uncongenial, undaring, undemonstrative,
unelaborate, unenterprising, unexcessive, unexpansive, unextreme,
ungenial, unostentatious, unprecipitate, unpretentious, wary,
watchful, well-advised, well-judged, withdrawn