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
Research also suggests that travel is becoming the top discretionary spending category for affluent travelers.
—
Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2026
Non-defense discretionary programs include support for education and training, public health and medical research, food and nutrition programs, federal law enforcement, and so on.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
But by then, the money had already been spent on discretionary staffing at the expense of basic services.
—Mark Powell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
The rising costs track across all city staff, but especially the Oakland Police Department, which was on track to blow past its overtime budget by nearly $17 million amid a decline in officer staffing before Interim Chief James Beere placed a cap on discretionary overtime spending last year.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
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Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2026
Non-defense discretionary programs include support for education and training, public health and medical research, food and nutrition programs, federal law enforcement, and so on.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
But by then, the money had already been spent on discretionary staffing at the expense of basic services.
—Mark Powell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
The rising costs track across all city staff, but especially the Oakland Police Department, which was on track to blow past its overtime budget by nearly $17 million amid a decline in officer staffing before Interim Chief James Beere placed a cap on discretionary overtime spending last year.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
Cite this Entry
“Discretionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discretionary. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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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