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
Reconciliation is not used to address discretionary spending.
—
Alison Griffin, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Trump’s order At its heart, Trump’s executive order would offer discretionary grants and issue guidance to states over using federal funds within this K-12 scholarship program.
—Suzanne Eckes, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2025
The executive order directs the Department of Education to prioritize discretionary federal grants for school choice and to issue guidance on allocating funding for elementary and secondary school scholarships.
—Corey A. Deangelis, Boston Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
Many Americans have dialed back discretionary purchases in response to inflation.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
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Alison Griffin, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Trump’s order At its heart, Trump’s executive order would offer discretionary grants and issue guidance to states over using federal funds within this K-12 scholarship program.
—Suzanne Eckes, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2025
The executive order directs the Department of Education to prioritize discretionary federal grants for school choice and to issue guidance on allocating funding for elementary and secondary school scholarships.
—Corey A. Deangelis, Boston Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
Many Americans have dialed back discretionary purchases in response to inflation.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
Cite this Entry
“Discretionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discretionary. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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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