DISCRETION Definition & Meaning

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discretion

[ dih-skresh-uhn ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

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.
Synonyms: , , ,

discretion

/ ��ɪˈ��ɛʃə�� /

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 discretion or years of discretion
the age at which a person is considered to be able to manage his own affairs

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of discretion¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English discrecioun, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin �徱��ŧ�پ�ō��-, stem of �徱��ŧ�پ�ō “separation”; equivalent to discreet + -ion

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Idioms and Phrases

at discretion, at one's option or pleasure:
They were allowed to work overtime at discretion.

More idioms and phrases containing discretion

In addition to the idiom beginning with discretion , also see throw caution (discretion) to the winds .

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

She said that granting humanitarian parole is based on the discretion of the officer who looks at the application, which means the decision differs from officer to officer.

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Once there, clubbers — known as “Picklers” — drank outlawed liquor and listened to leftist activists speak of a better world for working people, dance to jazz, and kiss each other under the discretion of the dark.

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Notifying federal officials of those who do meet the criteria, however, is left to the discretion of law enforcement.

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Nestle, which produces Kit Kat chocolate, said it was sometimes "necessary" to make such adjustments, but cautioned that "retail pricing is always at the sole discretion of individual retailers".

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With the exception of assistance dogs, animals are not usually allowed in polling stations, but can be admitted at the discretion of the local authority.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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