discretionary
Americanadjective
-
subject or left to one's own discretion.
-
for any use or purpose one chooses; not earmarked for a particular purpose.
discretionary income; a discretionary fund.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- discretionarily adverb
- nondiscretionary adjective
Etymology
Origin of discretionary
First recorded in 1690–1700; discretion + -ary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The sales outlook remains cloudy due to limited green shoots in most discretionary categories,” he wrote in a research note.
From Barron's
Energy functions like a tax, reducing discretionary spending and compressing margins.
From Barron's
The cereal shift is part of a broader effort by Target to sharpen its merchandise assortment and rebuild momentum after several uneven years marked by weaker discretionary spending and operational challenges in stores.
Mortgage prepayments surged in recent years as households prioritized deleveraging over discretionary consumption.
From MarketWatch
They cut discretionary spending by about $1,000 a month by pausing their Equinox membership, setting a spending limit for dining out and taking fewer vacations.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
