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
The hope is that the brick-and-mortar store will spur consumers to buy more, as discretionary spending on big-ticket items online, such as the furniture that is Wayfair’s bread and butter, has plunged since the end of the pandemic.
—
Chris Morris, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
Related Articles Adding to the mammoth regulatory code is San Francisco’s unique tradition of subjecting every permit to discretionary review, which was established by a legal opinion from the city attorney in 1954.
—Christopher Calton, Orange County Register, 16 Apr. 2024
Indeed, adult collectors have become critical to the growth of the toy industry, which faces the threat of inflation and higher interest rates curbing people’s discretionary spending.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 15 Apr. 2024
For restaurants with discretionary demand, there will be consumer resistance to higher prices.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
The ruling will affect about a third of the roughly 180,000 seminary students who receive subsidies from the government for full-time studies, according to Israel’s Channel 12 TV station, which said the subsidies could be temporarily covered by the governing coalition’s discretionary funds.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2024
As such, some tactics may be relegated to discretionary unilateral action.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
All other annual increases for those eligible are discretionary and not guaranteed.
—Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
These challenges coincided with a general softening of the luxury market and dovetailed with many e-tailers’ exposure to aspirational middle-class consumers who had seen their discretionary spending curtailed by inflation and the skyward trajectory of luxury pricing.
—Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Chris Morris, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
Related Articles Adding to the mammoth regulatory code is San Francisco’s unique tradition of subjecting every permit to discretionary review, which was established by a legal opinion from the city attorney in 1954.
—Christopher Calton, Orange County Register, 16 Apr. 2024
Indeed, adult collectors have become critical to the growth of the toy industry, which faces the threat of inflation and higher interest rates curbing people’s discretionary spending.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 15 Apr. 2024
For restaurants with discretionary demand, there will be consumer resistance to higher prices.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
The ruling will affect about a third of the roughly 180,000 seminary students who receive subsidies from the government for full-time studies, according to Israel’s Channel 12 TV station, which said the subsidies could be temporarily covered by the governing coalition’s discretionary funds.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2024
As such, some tactics may be relegated to discretionary unilateral action.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
All other annual increases for those eligible are discretionary and not guaranteed.
—Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
These challenges coincided with a general softening of the luxury market and dovetailed with many e-tailers’ exposure to aspirational middle-class consumers who had seen their discretionary spending curtailed by inflation and the skyward trajectory of luxury pricing.
—Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 27 Mar. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near discretionary
Cite this Entry
“Discretionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discretionary. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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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