as in optional
subject to one's freedom of choice
discretionary spending on luxuries dropped dramatically last year
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Recent Examples of discretionary
About Lowe’s employee bonuses Ellison also announced that Lowe’s is giving $125 million in discretionary bonuses to all hourly store and distribution center employees.
—
Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
That pot is more than double DHS's annual discretionary budget.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Everything above that floor — travel, hobbies, gifts for grandchildren, home renovations — falls into the discretionary category.
—Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
The rule is described in the filing as mandatory rather than discretionary.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
That pot is more than double DHS's annual discretionary budget.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Everything above that floor — travel, hobbies, gifts for grandchildren, home renovations — falls into the discretionary category.
—Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
The rule is described in the filing as mandatory rather than discretionary.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discretionary
Adjective
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The question box includes a space for your name, but this is optional.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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Casali also incorporated features from bigger models, such as the foredeck lounge and an optional drop-down aft platform.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Some local industry professionals have suggested to Deadline that the issue of the recommendations could still prove thorny down the line, even if Tuttle’s uptake of them would be voluntary.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
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The voluntary agreement has no enforcement mechanisms and ratepayers have no way to verify whether tech companies keep their promises, said Lena Moffitt, executive director of Evergreen Action, an environmental group.—
Josh Boak,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discretionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discretionary. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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