discretionary

adjective

dis·​cre·​tion·​ary di-ˈskre-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce discretionary (audio)
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 In the end, total discretionary spending set by Congress is expected to come in at about $1.66 trillion for the full entire year. Kevin Freking, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 These bills will adhere to the Fiscal Responsibility Act discretionary spending limits and January's topline spending agreement. Npr Washington Desk, NPR, 28 Feb. 2024 Lowe's comparable sales fell 7.4% in Q3 2023, due to a decline in DIY discretionary spending, partially offset by positive Pro customer comp sales. Trefis Team, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Retailers want to boost profit margins as consumers pull back in discretionary categories. Aaron Gregg, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 Figure 1 shows the percentage of federal spending by five categories: federal health-care programs, Social Security, discretionary spending (spending subject to the annual congressional appropriations process), other mandatory spending, and net-interest payments. Drew Gonshorowski, National Review, 12 Feb. 2024 If insolvencies continue at their current pace in higher-risk sectors such as construction, real estate, hospitality and retail, which are dependent on discretionary spending or are labor-intensive, Allianz Trade predicts more than 7,000 firms will go bust in the UK in 2024. Bloomberg, Fortune Europe, 28 Feb. 2024 The law set the top line for discretionary spending, and there was belief that appropriation bills would have an easier time getting through the House, Womack said. Tracy Neal, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2024 Consumer’s organic sales are expected to be down low single digits as discretionary spending is expected to remain muted, especially in the U.S., along with ongoing portfolio optimization initiatives. Joe Cornell, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'discretionary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

discretion + -ary entry 2

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of discretionary was in 1698

Dictionary Entries Near discretionary

Cite this Entry

“Discretionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discretionary. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

discretionary

adjective
dis·​cre·​tion·​ary dis-ˈkre-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce discretionary (audio)
: 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.

More from Merriam-Webster on discretionary

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