What does discretionarily mean?
Discretionarily is a formal adverb meaning 'in a manner based on individual judgment rather than fixed rules'. It is derived from 'discretionary', itself rooted in 'discretion' — the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation. When an official acts discretionarily, they exercise the latitude granted to them, weighing circumstances and choosing a course of action within the bounds of their authority. The word appears most often in legal, financial, and administrative contexts: funds may be spent discretionarily, powers exercised discretionarily, or penalties applied discretionarily. Its connotations are neutral-to-positive, implying considered judgment rather than caprice — though careless use can blur into 'arbitrarily', which carries a hint of unfairness. In everyday speech, English speakers typically prefer the phrase 'at their own discretion'; the adverb survives mainly in written, professional registers where precision and economy of expression matter.
adverbIn a manner based on or subject to individual judgment or discretion rather than fixed rules; at someone's own discretion.
- In a manner governed by personal judgment or choice rather than by fixed rules; at one's own discretion.
"The committee may allocate funds discretionarily to projects it deems most urgent."
"Managers may discretionarily award bonuses to high-performing staff."
"The judge acted discretionarily in reducing the sentence, citing mitigating circumstances."
Despite being the natural adverb of 'discretionary', 'discretionarily' is so rare that many spellcheckers flag it — writers usually reach for a phrase like 'at their own discretion' instead.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discretionarily
Discretionarily derives from 'discretionary', formed from 'discretion', which entered Middle English via Old French from Latin 'discretio' — 'separation, discernment' — from 'discernere', 'to distinguish'. Because discernment involves judging between options, 'discretion' came to mean the liberty to decide for oneself. Cognates sharing this Latin root include 'discrete', 'discreet', and 'discern'. The adverb follows the standard English pattern of adding '-ly' to an adjective.
Related word forms
How discretionarily is actually used
Formal register, found chiefly in legal, administrative, and business writing. In everyday prose, phrases such as 'at one's discretion' are far more common than the adverb itself.
Easily confused with discretionarily
'Discretely' means separately or individually, while 'discretionarily' means according to one's own judgment or discretion.
'Arbitrarily' often implies randomness or lack of justification, whereas 'discretionarily' implies judgment exercised within granted authority.