Discretionary
adjective
Something that is optional and up to the person or group in power to decide.
The judge made a discretionary ruling about the severity of the punishment
Often appears as...
- discretionary spending
- discretionary income
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
adjective
Relating to financial matters that are not essential and can be changed or reduced if necessary.
Discretionary expenses, like hobbies or luxury items, can be reduced in hard times
Often appears as...
- discretionary spending
- discretionary funds
adjective
In law, discretionary powers are those given to an individual or body to make decisions based on their own judgment.
The judge has discretionary powers to dismiss the case
Often appears as...
- discretionary powers
- discretionary order
Usage tips
Formal
Legal
adjective
Something that is optional and up to the person or group in power to decide.
The judge made a discretionary ruling about the severity of the punishment
Often appears as...
- discretionary spending
- discretionary income
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
adjective
Relating to financial matters that are not essential and can be changed or reduced if necessary.
Discretionary expenses, like hobbies or luxury items, can be reduced in hard times
Often appears as...
- discretionary spending
- discretionary funds
adjective
In law, discretionary powers are those given to an individual or body to make decisions based on their own judgment.
The judge has discretionary powers to dismiss the case
Often appears as...
- discretionary powers
- discretionary order
Usage tips
Formal
Legal
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Personal Choice
Use 'discretionary' when highlighting a choice depends on someone's own decision.
The company allows discretionary work-from-home days.
Pro Tip 2/3Authority's Decision
'Discretionary' implies someone in power has flexibility to decide differently in each case.
The board has discretionary authority over funding approvals.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Automatic
'Discretionary' means actions are not set by rules, but by individual judgment.
Bonuses this year will be discretionary based on performance.
Compare with
arbitraryelectiveoptionvoluntary
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Video examples
Can't stick to a budget?...
but the time you save will be worth every penny. By making these small changes to your discretionary spending, you can not only spend less but actually get more happiness and satisfaction from your spending. It can mean a life with fewer guilty pleasures and less regret. Now who wouldn't want that?
Video examples
Can't stick to a budget?...
but the time you save will be worth every penny. By making these small changes to your discretionary spending, you can not only spend less but actually get more happiness and satisfaction from your spending. It can mean a life with fewer guilty pleasures and less regret. Now who wouldn't want that?
Example 1 of 1
Quote examples
Heidi Hammel
American Scientist
I don't think I could advocate for increasing NASA's budget by a factor of two or ten, because I want us to have good roads in our country. I want us to have good education in our country. And NASA's budget is part of a discretionary budget, and we can't make that bigger without taking away other things.
Quote examples
Maria Bartiromo
American Journalist
If you or me go to the gas station to fill up our car and it costs us much more than we expected, it will zap our discretionary income. We won't have the extra money to buy that washing machine or new winter coat-all big ticket items that are important to economic growth.
Quote examples
Robert Zubrin
American Scientist
Trillions of dollars in out-of-control entitlement spending cannot be remedied by cuts in NASA, or even in the entire discretionary budget, defense included. Rather, the financial bleeding needs to be staunched where the hole is and nowhere else.
Quote examples
Steve Hanke
American Economist
There is always the potential for a central bank to engage in discretionary monetary policy and to break the one-to-one link between changes in foreign reserves and changes in the money supply.
Quote examples
Gary Ross
American Actor
Family entertainment is really very necessary in our culture. Look how profitable they are. It's almost not discretionary. You need to take your family to the movies.
Quote examples
Larry Gagosian
American Businessman
Naturally, liquidity is a big factor in any market that seems to be a lot of money in the world, and there's a lot of discretionary money.
Quote examples
Nicola Sturgeon
Scottish Politician
The U.K. government sets a cap on how much can be spent on discretionary housing payments.
Quote examples
Alexa Von Tobel
American Businesswoman
Know the difference between your necessary and discretionary expenses.
Quote examples
Michael Hintze
British Businessman
My giving is discretionary, but keeping the business going is not.
Quote examples
Robert M. Gates
American Politician
Defense is not like other discretionary spending.
Quote examples
Heidi Hammel
American Scientist
I don't think I could advocate for increasing NASA's budget by a factor of two or ten, because I want us to have good roads in our country. I want us to have good education in our country. And NASA's budget is part of a discretionary budget, and we can't make that bigger without taking away other things.
Quote examples
Maria Bartiromo
American Journalist
If you or me go to the gas station to fill up our car and it costs us much more than we expected, it will zap our discretionary income. We won't have the extra money to buy that washing machine or new winter coat-all big ticket items that are important to economic growth.
Quote examples
Robert Zubrin
American Scientist
Trillions of dollars in out-of-control entitlement spending cannot be remedied by cuts in NASA, or even in the entire discretionary budget, defense included. Rather, the financial bleeding needs to be staunched where the hole is and nowhere else.
Quote examples
Steve Hanke
American Economist
There is always the potential for a central bank to engage in discretionary monetary policy and to break the one-to-one link between changes in foreign reserves and changes in the money supply.
Quote examples
Gary Ross
American Actor
Family entertainment is really very necessary in our culture. Look how profitable they are. It's almost not discretionary. You need to take your family to the movies.
Quote examples
Larry Gagosian
American Businessman
Naturally, liquidity is a big factor in any market that seems to be a lot of money in the world, and there's a lot of discretionary money.
Quote examples
Nicola Sturgeon
Scottish Politician
The U.K. government sets a cap on how much can be spent on discretionary housing payments.
Quote examples
Alexa Von Tobel
American Businesswoman
Know the difference between your necessary and discretionary expenses.
Quote examples
Michael Hintze
British Businessman
My giving is discretionary, but keeping the business going is not.
Quote examples
Robert M. Gates
American Politician
Defense is not like other discretionary spending.
Example 1 of 10
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