the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment; freedom of judgment or choice: It is entirely within my discretion whether I will go or stay.
the quality of being discreet, especially with reference to one's own actions or speech; prudence or decorum: Throwing all discretion to the winds, he blurted out the truth.
Idioms for discretion
at discretion, at one's option or pleasure: They were allowed to work overtime at discretion.
Origin of discretion
1250–1300; Middle English discrecioun<Anglo-French <Late Latin discrētiōn- (stem of discrētiō). See discreet, -ion
SYNONYMS FOR discretion
2 judgment, wisdom, discrimination, sense.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR discretion ON THESAURUS.COM
Words nearby discretion
discrepancies, discrepancy, discrepant, discrete, discrete variable, discretion, discretional, discretionary, discretionary account, discretionary trust, Discretion is the better part of valor
Through a spokesman, Freddie Mac said that such locks are an important part of its business model, and that timing is at the borrower’s discretion.
The Kushners’ Freddie Mac Loan Wasn’t Just Massive. It Came With Unusually Good Terms, Too.|by Heather Vogell|October 1, 2020|ProPublica
The clinic said that an officer in such a situation has no discretion.
The Startling Reach and Disparate Impact of Cleveland Clinic’s Private Police Force|by David Armstrong|September 28, 2020|ProPublica
Experts tell me that the president actually has a lot of power at his discretion to contest the election, and some of the scenarios that could bring us to the edge of a crisis are actually very plausible.
What If Trump Loses And Won’t Leave?|Geoffrey Skelley (geoffrey.skelley@abc.com)|September 14, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
An ADP spokesperson told Fortune that clients who use its TotalSource product will not have an option to take part in the deferral, but other clients will be able to suspend the Social Security collection at their discretion.
ADP, the biggest U.S. payroll service, won’t implement Trump’s ‘tax holiday’ for some clients|Jeff|September 8, 2020|Fortune
Their business is nearly 100% repeat and referral, a testament to their high ethical standards, strong negotiating skills, energy, and discretion.
COVID real estate — the new normal|Marin Hagen and Sylvia Bergstrom|August 22, 2020|Washington Blade
The town of Paradise told parents that trick-or-treating was “at your discretion.”
Killer Eric Frein Held in Murdered Cop’s Cuffs|Michael Daly|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The overriding theme of the hundreds of interviews Newman had granted is his discretion.
The Stacks: The Eyes of Winter: Paul Newman at 70|Peter Richmond|October 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And so we get policies where parents are given no discretion over whether or not to keep their kids home.
The Doctor’s Note Must Die!|Russell Saunders|September 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How from now on we were going to be seeing in Prince Harry nothing but a model of discretion, seriousness and best behaviour?
Prince Harry Parties TOPLESS|Tom Sykes|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This fact was revealed with a flourish during a Life Lesson on the importance of discretion, which is a story for another day.
Quality Bud, but Like, Whoa, The Prices|Kelly Williams Brown|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Tarthan swordsman, well up on the principles of discretion, felt a sudden urge to be quit of this locality.
Quest of the Golden Ape|Ivar Jorgensen
His landlady interrupted his gaze to know what he would have for dinner, but he declined to use any discretion in the matter.
Robert Falconer|George MacDonald
I never gave Jock credit for discretion, but, faith, he seems to have gone with a keen eye to the market for once in his life!
Gilian The Dreamer|Neil Munro
Her blood was up now; anger had got the better of discretion.
The Slave of Silence|Fred M. White
Discretion is a quality of the heart—solely a quality of the heart; it acts upon us through feeling.
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc|Mark Twain
British Dictionary definitions for discretion
discretion
/ (dɪˈskrɛʃən) /
noun
the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid social embarrassment or distress
freedom or authority to make judgments and to act as one sees fit (esp in the phrases at one's own discretion, at the discretion of)
age of discretionoryears of discretionthe age at which a person is considered to be able to manage his own affairs