discretionnoun [ U ]
uk/dɪˈskreʃ.ən/us/dɪˈskreʃ.ən/discretion noun [ U ] (CAREFUL BEHAVIOUR)
C2 the ability to behave without causing embarrassment or attracting too much attention, especially by keeping information secret:
"Can you trust him with this?" "Yes, he's the soul of discretion (= he will not tell other people)."
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Paying attention and being careful
- attention
- attention span
- be good, and if you can't be good, be careful idiom
- be on (your) guard idiom
- cautious
- centre
- eye
- focus
- hang
- hang on/upon sth
- have a care idiom
- have/keep your ear to the ground idiom
- hedge your bets idiom
- middle
- pay
- the/a glare of sth idiom
- tread carefully/gently/lightly idiom
- walk
- walk on eggs/eggshells idiom
- wary
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discretion noun [ U ] (RIGHT TO CHOOSE)
formal the right or ability to decide something:
Students can be expelled at the discretion of the principal (= if the principal decides it).
I leave the decision to your discretion (= for you to decide).
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Decisions and deciding
- be make or break for sb/sth idiom
- be on the horns of a dilemma idiom
- clinch
- clincher
- come down on one side of the fence or the other idiom
- come to sth
- decider
- fight
- hammer sth out
- head
- it's a date idiom
- lot
- make or break sth idiom
- make up your mind idiom
- mind
- name
- name the day idiom
- plunge
- spin a coin idiom
- toss
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Idiom(s)
discretion is the better part of valour