Meanings
comparative more discretionary · superlative most discretionary
- 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
2 more examples
discretionary powers
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.
2020 May 6, Prof. Andrew McNaughton, “Time to challenge some sacred philosophies of recent years”, in Rail, page 32
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveAvailable at one's discretion; able to be used as one chooses; left to or regulated by one's own discretion or judgment.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivehaving or using the ability to act or decide according to your own discretion or judgment
adjective(especially of funds) not earmarked; available for use as needed
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From discretion + -ary (“pertaining to”). Compare French discrétionnaire.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan discrecional
- discrecionalavailable at one's discretion
Czech ke zvážení, na zvážení
- ke zváženíavailable at one's discretion
- na zváženíavailable at one's discretion
Danish diskretionær
- diskretionæravailable at one's discretion
Finnish harkinnanvarainen
- harkinnanvarainenavailable at one's discretion
French discrétionnaire
- discrétionnaireavailable at one's discretion
Hungarian választható, belátás szerinti
- választhatóavailable at one's discretion
- belátás szerintiavailable at one's discretion
- tetszés szerintiavailable at one's discretion
- megítélés szerintiavailable at one's discretion
- (saját/szabad) belátása/megítélése szerintiavailable at one's discretion
- saját/szabad belátására/megítélésére bízottavailable at one's discretion
- diszkrecionálisavailable at one's discretion
Icelandic geðþótta-, valinn að vild
- geðþótta-available at one's discretion
- valinn að vildavailable at one's discretion
- að eigin ákvörðunavailable at one's discretion
Italian discrezionale
- discrezionaleavailable at one's discretion
Polish uznaniowy, dyskrecjonalny
- uznaniowyavailable at one's discretion
- dyskrecjonalnyavailable at one's discretion
Portuguese discricionário, irrestrito
- discricionárioavailable at one's discretion
- irrestritoavailable at one's discretion
- irrestritaavailable at one's discretion
- irrestritosavailable at one's discretion
- irrestritasavailable at one's discretion
Russian предоставленный на собственное усмотре́ние
- предоставленный на собственное усмотре́ние (predostavlennyj na sobstvennoje usmotrénije)available at one's discretion
Spanish discrecional
- discrecionalavailable at one's discretion
Welsh diamod
- diamodavailable at one's discretion
Cite this entry
discretionary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/discretionary
“discretionary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/discretionary. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “discretionary,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/discretionary.
Source: discretionary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.