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
Yaakov Roth, a Justice Department lawyer, said Trump cited his reason for removing Cook and that courts have little role in reviewing a president's discretionary choices.
—
Bart Jansen, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2025
Wells Fargo economists noted that July’s spending growth masked a pullback in discretionary categories like food services and hotel accommodations.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
However, the change aims to strengthen the agency's discretionary verifications in line with the tightening of immigration policies under the Trump administration.
—Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
The defense may still appeal, but higher courts rarely disturb a trial judge's discretionary denial of equitable relief.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
Bart Jansen, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2025
Wells Fargo economists noted that July’s spending growth masked a pullback in discretionary categories like food services and hotel accommodations.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
However, the change aims to strengthen the agency's discretionary verifications in line with the tightening of immigration policies under the Trump administration.
—Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
The defense may still appeal, but higher courts rarely disturb a trial judge's discretionary denial of equitable relief.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discretionary
Adjective
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Yet even with these far-reaching effects, financial literacy continues to be treated as an optional skill set rather than as a cornerstone of true economic progress.—
Kevin Cohee,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Code does not distinguish between voluntary and involuntary expatriation.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The 30-year-old accepted a voluntary provisional suspension on June 2, which will now expire on April 2, 2026 following the outcome of European football’s governing body.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discretionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discretionary. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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