discretion
Americannoun
-
the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment; freedom of judgment or choice.
It is entirely within my discretion whether I will go or stay.
-
the quality of being discreet, especially with reference to one's own actions or speech; prudence or decorum.
Throwing all discretion to the winds, he blurted out the truth.
- Synonyms:
- sense, discrimination, wisdom, judgment
idioms
noun
-
the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid social embarrassment or distress
-
freedom or authority to make judgments and to act as one sees fit (esp in the phrases at one's own discretion, at the discretion of )
-
the age at which a person is considered to be able to manage his own affairs
Etymology
Origin of discretion
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English discrecioun, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin discrētiōn-, stem of discrētiō “separation”; equivalent to discreet + -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We need to give courts discretion to make these determinations. We also need to make sure we’re keeping victims safe. There’s just too many examples where this has failed.”
From Los Angeles Times
Critics, however, argue that because the first point of action is the police, they may exercise a wider discretion in deciding what qualifies as hate speech.
From BBC
Making films on the outskirts of legality under an authoritarian regime entails high-stakes discretion.
From Los Angeles Times
Nasdaq’s new rules, approved this month, give it more discretion to refuse listings and establish a $15 million minimum for all IPOs.
From Barron's
Therefore, "the issue of the flying of the Union flag from government buildings is for individual ministerial discretion".
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
