discretionary
adjective
dis·cre·tion·ary
di-ˈskre-shə-ˌner-ē 
1
: left to individual choice or judgment : exercised at one's own discretion
discretionary powers
2
: available for discretionary use
discretionary income
Examples of discretionary in a Sentence
discretionary spending on luxuries dropped dramatically last year
Recent Examples on the Web
The Department of Defense has the largest discretionary budget in the government, millions of Americans in uniform under its direction, and control of a vast arsenal funded by taxpayers.
—
Axios, 1 Feb. 2025
But the Department also provides a slew of discretionary grants aimed at helping low-income students and minority groups, as well as students with disabilities.
—Zach Montague, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2025
The incident highlights concerns over discretionary enforcement of airline policies.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
Since higher-income earners represent the majority of discretionary spending any weakness could have an outsize impact on the economy.
—Stephanie Dhue,sharon Epperson, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for discretionary 
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Axios, 1 Feb. 2025
But the Department also provides a slew of discretionary grants aimed at helping low-income students and minority groups, as well as students with disabilities.
—Zach Montague, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2025
The incident highlights concerns over discretionary enforcement of airline policies.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
Since higher-income earners represent the majority of discretionary spending any weakness could have an outsize impact on the economy.
—Stephanie Dhue,sharon Epperson, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for discretionary
Dictionary Entries Near discretionary
Cite this Entry
“Discretionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discretionary. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
discretionary
adjective
dis·cre·tion·ary
dis-ˈkre-shə-ˌner-ē
: left to discretion : exercised at one's own discretion
specifically
: relating to the policy-making function of a public official see also Federal Tort Claims Act compare ministerial
Note: A public official generally has qualified immunity from lawsuits that arise from his or her discretionary acts.
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