What does discretionary mean?
Discretionary is an adjective describing something that is left to a person's own judgment or choice rather than being fixed by rule, necessity, or obligation. It appears most often in financial and administrative contexts: discretionary income is what remains after essentials like taxes and necessities are covered, while discretionary spending refers to outlays that are chosen rather than required. In law and government, discretionary powers are those officials may exercise as they see fit within their authority, without binding instructions. The word also covers optional matters generally — a discretionary bonus, for example, is paid at an employer's sole decision and cannot be demanded. Derived from the same Latin root as 'discretion' and 'discreet' (discernere, to separate or distinguish), it entered English usage in the early modern period alongside the growth of formal institutions that needed to distinguish obligatory duties from matters of personal judgment. It is a precise, useful term whenever the line between required and elective must be made explicit.
adjectiveAvailable for use at the decision or judgment of the person concerned; not fixed by rules or obligations. Often describes spending, powers, or choices that someone may exercise as they see fit.
- (of funds, income, or resources) available to be spent or used freely at one's own discretion, after essential obligations are met.
- (of powers, decisions, or actions) exercised according to individual judgment rather than being bound by fixed rules.
- (chiefly of activities or items) optional rather than necessary or compulsory.
"After paying rent and bills, she had little discretionary income left each month."
"The committee used its discretionary funds to sponsor the student conference."
"Judges have considerable discretion in sentencing — much of it is discretionary rather than prescribed by law."
That 'fun money' left over after your bills are paid has an official name — economists call it discretionary income, and it's the first thing to vanish in a recession.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discretionary
Discretionary derives from 'discretion', which comes from Latin discretio (discernment, separation), from the verb discernere — 'to distinguish, sift apart'. The word entered English via Old French in the medieval period, with 'discretionary' formed as its adjective in the early modern era. It shares this root with 'discreet', which was originally the same word as 'discrete' before the spellings diverged in meaning.
Related word forms
How discretionary is actually used
Formal to neutral register, common in economics, finance, law, and administration. It frequently modifies institutional nouns such as 'income', 'spending', 'fund', and 'powers'. The word carries no strong positive or negative connotation, though in political contexts 'discretionary spending' can become contested terminology when budgets are debated.
Easily confused with discretionary
'Discreet' means careful or unobtrusive, while 'discretionary' means available for use according to one's own judgment; they share a Latin root but differ entirely in meaning.