discretionary

American  

[dih-skresh-uh-ner-ee] / dɪˈskrɛʃ əˌnɛr i /

adjective

1. subject or left to one's own discretion.

2. for any use or purpose one chooses; not earmarked for a particular purpose.

   discretionary income; a discretionary fund.

---

discretionary British  

/ -ənrɪ, dɪˈskrɛʃənərɪ /

adjective

1. having or using the ability to decide at one's own discretion

   discretionary powers

---

Other Word Forms

• discretionarily adverb
• nondiscretionary adjective

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.

Example Sentences

Soto-Martínez said his office used discretionary funds to hire two crews from the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

Theaters are getting people who love movies and have discretionary income to pay substantially more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

The most investible version of China’s consumption story may not be a return of old-style discretionary splurging.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Despite bigger federal tax refunds, retail ETFs underperform the S&P 500’s 4% rise, as gas inflation impacts discretionary spending.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Most prosecutors’ offices lack any manual or guidebook advising prosecutors how to make discretionary decisions.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• unrestricted