as in optional
subject to one's freedom of choice
discretionary spending on luxuries dropped dramatically last year
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Recent Examples of discretionary
This jolt is compounded by existing worries over higher costs for everyday goods and risks causing consumers to cut back on discretionary spending.
—
Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
That reciprocal vulnerability is the engine of discretionary effort.
—Charles Edward Gehrke, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
The granting of humanitarian parole is discretionary and receiving it does not give the parolee any legal immigration status.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Active-duty Coast Guard personnel are currently being paid using discretionary funding despite the DHS shutdown.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
That reciprocal vulnerability is the engine of discretionary effort.
—Charles Edward Gehrke, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
The granting of humanitarian parole is discretionary and receiving it does not give the parolee any legal immigration status.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Active-duty Coast Guard personnel are currently being paid using discretionary funding despite the DHS shutdown.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discretionary
Adjective
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Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
6 Apr. 2026
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In addition to sharing contact and school information, the link for the image, and a 200-400 artist statement describing your flag, students will answer a series of short, optional questions about their process.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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With some companies pausing travel to risky areas until further notice, voluntary flight cancellations on Europe to Asia routes more than doubled in the first week of March, according to data from travel agency Perk.—
Sydney Goh,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
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Overall, 92,000 jobs were lost, and the voluntary quitting rate dropped — seen as a measure of employees’ confidence in their ability to find new work.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discretionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discretionary. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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