Meaning & use

discretely

adverb·Academic

In a separate or distinct way, as individual and clearly divided parts rather than a continuous whole.

See it in a sentence

The data was recorded discretely for each hour rather than as a daily average.

The software treats each transaction discretely, so one error cannot affect another.

A note on using this word

Do not confuse with "discreetly," meaning in a careful, unnoticeable manner; the two words sound alike but are unrelated.

Words with a similar meaning

separatelyindividually

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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