discretion

noun

dis·​cre·​tion di-ˈskre-shən How to pronounce discretion (audio)
1
a
: individual choice or judgment
left the decision to his discretion
b
: power of free decision or latitude of choice within certain legal bounds
reached the age of discretion
2
: the quality of having or showing discernment or good judgment : the quality of being discreet : circumspection
especially : cautious reserve in speech
3
: ability to make responsible decisions
4
: the result of separating or distinguishing

Examples of discretion in a Sentence

Though it is worth noting that to live in a place where other people come just for pleasure has the odd effect of making me feel transient, while the visitors seem more fixed and permanent in their lives, coming as they do from more conventional homes far away. It is as if I am always waiting for them and am here at their discretion. Richard Ford, Wall Street Journal, 14-15 June 2008
In Texas "capital" murder doesn't necessarily mean a death-penalty case; it's the designation for any aggravated murder, and prosecutors have full discretion in deciding whether to seek death in such cases. John Cloud, Time, 14 July 2003
Del Monte was a courtier, bureaucrat, diplomat and politician born and bred and he understood the need for discretion. Peter Robb, The Man Who Became Caravaggio, (1998) 1999
Each artist in the gallery has discretion over the price that will be charged for his or her work. The coach used his own discretion to let the injured quarterback play. He always uses care and discretion when dealing with others. She handled the awkward situation with great discretion.
Recent Examples on the Web Even intangibles, like copyrights and intellectual property, can be bought and sold at their owners’ discretion. Chris Dixon, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2024 There are other situations when a juvenile 14 or older may be charged as an adult at the prosecutor's discretion. Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024 Shareholders of electric-vehicle maker Canoo Inc. have authorized a reverse stock split ratio ranging from 1:2 to 1:30 at the discretion of the board of directors and with the approval of shareholders, according to a recent filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. John Magsam, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2024 Whether or not that restaurant chooses to curate a no-fly list of sorts with that information is at their discretion (Yin’s restaurants don’t), but the flag doesn’t go unnoticed, particularly for repeat offenders. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 29 Feb. 2024 The motivation was thus: to break the content mill and provide editors with a little discretion and a little time to think, which are the rarest of luxuries in today’s content economy. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024 In the end, it was decided to give the institutional trustee wide discretion to distribute to the child. Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 However, the results — which are released at the discretion of the president — should not necessarily be taken at face value since presidents have a history of deceiving the American public about their health, historians told McClatchy News. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Despite Kate Middleton's Recovery (Exclusive) Her wish is for privacy While King Charles disclosed both his procedure for an enlarged prostate and his cancer diagnosis, Princess Kate chose discretion. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'discretion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English discrecioun "rational perception, moral discernment, good judgment," borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French discreciun, descrecion, borrowed from Late Latin discrētiōn-, discrētiō "separation, act or power of distinguishing, caution, prudence," going back to Latin, "division, discrimination," from discrē-, variant stem of discernere "to separate, distinguish" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at discern

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of discretion was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near discretion

Cite this Entry

“Discretion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discretion. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

discretion

noun
dis·​cre·​tion dis-ˈkresh-ən How to pronounce discretion (audio)
1
: the quality of being discreet : prudence
2
a
: individual choice or judgment
left the decision to your discretion
b
: power of free decision
reached the age of discretion
discretionary
-ˈkresh-ə-ˌner-ē
adjective

Legal Definition

discretion

noun
dis·​cre·​tion dis-ˈkre-shən How to pronounce discretion (audio)
: power of free decision or latitude of choice within certain bounds imposed by law
reached the age of discretion
struck down death penalty provisions administered through unbridled jury discretionL. H. Tribe
: as
a
: the power of a judge to use his or her own judgment in making decisions guided by what is fair and equitable and by principles of law see also abuse of discretion
b
: the power of a public official or employee to act and make decisions based on his or her own judgment or conscience within the bounds of reason and the law

More from Merriam-Webster on discretion

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