Standard Lemma guide

indiscretion

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌɪndɪsˈkɹɛʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N D IH0 S K R EH1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality or state of being indiscreet; lack of discretion

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • political indiscretion
  • minor indiscretion
  • He apologized for his youthful indiscretion.
  • The scandal was caused by a single indiscretion.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: imprudence, rashness

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An indiscreet or imprudent act; indiscreet behavior.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • forgive an indiscretion

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A brief sexual liaison.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a petty misdeed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: peccadillo

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: misbehavior, misbehaviour, misdeed

5

noun

Meaning 5

the trait of being injudicious

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: injudiciousness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: folly, foolishness, unwiseness

History

Etymology

From Old French, from Late Latin indiscrētiō.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: нетактичност (netaktičnost) — Want of discretion
  • Bulgarian: неучтивост (neučtivost) — Want of discretion
  • Catalan: indiscreció — Want of discretion
  • Chinese Cantonese: 不慎 (bat1 san6) — Want of discretion
  • Dutch: indescretie — Want of discretion
  • French: indiscrétion — Want of discretion
  • German: Indiskretion — Want of discretion
  • Greek: αδιακρισία (adiakrisía) — Want of discretion
  • Manx: neuyeidys — Want of discretion
  • Romanian: indiscreție — Want of discretion
  • Russian: неосмотрительность (neosmotritelʹnostʹ) — Want of discretion
  • Spanish: indiscreción — Want of discretion
  • Armenian: անհամեստություն (anhamestutʻyun) — Indiscreet act
  • Finnish: hairahdus — Indiscreet act
  • French: indiscrétion — Indiscreet act
  • German: Indiskretion — Indiscreet act
  • Greek: αδιακρισία (adiakrisía) — Indiscreet act
  • Kazakh: ұятсыздық (ūätsyzdyq) — Indiscreet act
  • Romanian: indiscreție — Indiscreet act
  • Russian: нескромность (neskromnostʹ) — Indiscreet act