discretionary

English

Etymology

From discretion +‎ -ary (“pertaining to”). Compare French discrétionnaire.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈskɹɛʃən(ə)ɹi/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /dɪsˈkɹɛʃəˌnɛɹi/

Adjective

discretionary (comparative more discretionary, superlative most discretionary)

1. Available at one's discretion; able to be used as one chooses; left to or regulated by one's own discretion or judgment.

   discretionary income

   discretionary powers

   • 2020 May 6, Prof. Andrew McNaughton, “Time to challenge some sacred philosophies of recent years”, in Rail, page 32:

     The new normal: Will demand quickly return to pre-COVID levels?
     Unlikely, if only because with the country (and the world) in deep recession, many younger people will be in serious financial difficulty. A lack of disposable income simply won't allow them much discretionary travel.

Synonyms

• elective
• optional

Derived terms

• discretionarily
• discretionary account
• discretionary fiscal policy
• discretionary income
• discretionary spending
• nondiscretionary
• nondiscretionary spending

Translations

available at one's discretion

Catalan: discrecional Czech: ke zvážení, na zvážení n Danish: diskretionær Finnish: harkinnanvarainen French: discrétionnaire (fr) German: (please verify) ohne Beschränkungen Hungarian: választható (hu), belátás szerinti, tetszés szerinti, megítélés szerinti, (saját/szabad) belátása/megítélése szerinti, saját/szabad belátására/megítélésére bízott, diszkrecionális (hu) Icelandic: geðþótta-, (chosen at will) valinn að vild m, (of one's own accord) að eigin ákvörðun (is) Italian: discrezionale (it) Polish: uznaniowy, dyskrecjonalny Portuguese: discricionário (pt) Russian: предоставленный на собственное усмотре́ние n (predostavlennyj na sobstvennoje usmotrénije) Spanish: discrecional Welsh: diamod