discretionary

discretionary — adjective

1. not fixed by rules or laws, but left for the person in charge to decide based on

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

not fixed by rules or laws, but left for the person in charge to decide based on their own judgment — for example, a manager's decision about which team members receive a bonus.

Example

The judge has discretionary power to reduce the sentence for first-time offenders.

discretionary + power for legal authority

School principals in Taiwan have discretionary authority over minor disciplinary matters.

Common collocations
  • discretionary power
  • discretionary authority
  • discretionary decision
  • discretionary budget
  • discretionary clause
  • discretionary bonus
  • entirely discretionary
  • wholly discretionary
Synonyms
  • optional

    broader term; anything you can choose or not is optional, but not every optional matter involves someone's authority to decide

  • elective

    suggests a choice made by voting or personal preference; more common in academic or political contexts

  • non-mandatory

    more literal and less formal; emphasises that something is not required by rule

Antonyms
  • mandatory

    required by law or rule, leaving no room for personal judgment

  • compulsory

    forced by a rule or authority; stronger than mandatory

  • obligatory

    required by duty, law, or social convention

Grammar Patterns

discretionary + noun

be + discretionary

Usage Note

Frequently used attributively before nouns such as 'power,' 'authority,' 'decision,' or 'budget.' The predicative form (e.g., 'The decision is discretionary') is less common but grammatically correct.

Common Mistakes

The school has optional power to decide the punishment.
The school has discretionary power to decide the punishment.
'optional' means something can be chosen or not; 'discretionary' means someone in authority decides based on judgment.

2. describes money spent on things that people want but do not strictly need for ba

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes money spent on things that people want but do not strictly need for basic living — such as dining out at restaurants, holidays, electronics, or luxury goods.

Example

The family cut back on discretionary spending after Elena lost her job.

collocation: discretionary spending

New clothes and restaurant meals are discretionary purchases, not monthly necessities.

Common collocations
  • discretionary spending
  • discretionary income
  • discretionary expenses
  • discretionary purchases
  • discretionary items
  • discretionary categories
Synonyms
  • non-essential

    more direct and widely understood; simply means not necessary for basic living

  • non-necessary

    less common; used in formal written analyses

Antonyms
  • essential

    necessary for basic living, such as rent, food, and utilities

  • necessary

    required for a basic standard of living

  • basic

    the minimum required, opposite of extra or luxury

Grammar Patterns

discretionary + noun (spending, purchase, expense)

Usage Note

Almost always used before a noun in economic or personal-finance contexts. The noun phrases 'discretionary spending,' 'discretionary income,' and 'discretionary expenses' are the most common fixed expressions.

Common Mistakes

The company made discretionary staff cuts.
The company made voluntary staff cuts.
'discretionary spending' refers to non-essential purchases; using it for non-essential staff reductions is confusing and non-standard.

3. relating to a financial arrangement in which a professional manager makes decisi

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

relating to a financial arrangement in which a professional manager makes decisions about investing or distributing money, without needing permission from the owner or beneficiary each time.

Example

Cyrus invested through a discretionary fund handled by a professional asset manager.

collocation: discretionary fund

Under a discretionary trust the trustee can distribute income to any beneficiary as needed.

Common collocations
  • discretionary fund
  • discretionary trust
  • discretionary account
  • discretionary portfolio
  • discretionary management
  • discretionary investment
Antonyms
  • non-discretionary

    describes an account or trust where the manager must follow fixed instructions from the client or beneficiary

Grammar Patterns

discretionary + noun (fund, trust, account)

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2 (NON-ESSENTIAL): a 'discretionary fund' in this sense refers to a management structure, not to money for non-essential purchases. The context — banking, investment, trusts — makes the intended meaning clear.

Word family

  • discretion
    nounB2
  • discretional
    adjectiveC1
  • indiscretion
    nounC1
  • indiscreet
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words all describe situations where a choice exists, but they differ in who makes it and under what constraints. 'Optional' is the broadest term: something optional can be chosen or not by any person ('An optional course'). 'Voluntary' emphasises willingness and personal initiative; it often carries a positive connotation of generosity or free will ('Voluntary community service'). 'Elective' implies selection by vote or personal preference and is most common in academic contexts ('An elective course in art history'). 'Discretionary' is more formal and specifically refers to decisions made by someone in a position of authority, using their own judgment rather than following fixed rules. For example: a judge uses discretionary power to set a sentence within the law, whereas students choose an optional module without any authority figure's involvement.

optional ↗voluntary ↗elective ↗discretionary ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • entirely discretionary
  • wholly discretionary
  • completely discretionary
  • largely discretionary
  • purely discretionary

Phrases

  • at one's discretion
  • within discretionary limits
  • subject to discretionary review

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'discretionary' comes from 'discretion,' which entered English in the 1300s from Old French 'discretion,' meaning 'moral discernment, ability to decide.' The French term traces back to Latin 'discretio' — 'separation, discernment' — from 'discernere' (to separate, distinguish). The suffix '-ary' was added in the 1700s to form the adjective, giving it the meaning 'involving the power to decide or distinguish.' The financial sense (non-essential spending) emerged in the mid-1900s.