discretionary
Americanadjective
-
subject or left to one's own discretion.
-
for any use or purpose one chooses; not earmarked for a particular purpose.
discretionary income; a discretionary fund.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of discretionary
First recorded in 1690–1700; discretion + -ary
Explanation
Discretionary means it's up to you to decide. Bathing regularly is a discretionary act, so you can opt not to do it if you want; note, however, that your friends might disagree with us on this. Discretionary is often used to describe money that isn’t designated for a particular purpose. It’s up to the people in charge to decide how discretionary funds should be spent. Discretionary comes from the word discretion, which can be used to mean “the right to decide something based on one’s own judgment.” If you're given a task to complete at your discretion, you can decide how you want to do it — or whether you want to do it at all.
Vocabulary lists containing discretionary
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
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Just Mercy
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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.
“You go from having discretionary income to being on a fixed income. That can have a big emotional impact. There’s no more fun, no more playing. It can be hard to accept,” Gilbert said.
From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026
That could prop up discretionary spending this summer, whether it’s on splashy vacations, dining out, or home improvement.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
"However, these pathways are discretionary and rely on police identifying and articulating the situation as urgent," she said.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
The projected cuts included near-total elimination of special discretionary aid to high-need schools and a separate program that provides academic and emotional support to Black students and others with similar needs.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
The job was full of discretionary power and the decisions about how to use it were often moral.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
