DISCRETIONARY Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

discretionary

adjective

di-ˈskre-shə-ˌner-ē

Definition of discretionary

as in optional

subject to one's freedom of choice discretionary spending on luxuries dropped dramatically last year

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of discretionary At the committee hearing, Wahab said the bill is meant to increase transparency over the county’s discretionary funds by bolstering public oversight of the county’s money and adding new checks on how taxpayer funds get spent. — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 6 July 2026 Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who represents Garden Grove and the area near the facility, allocated the money from her discretionary funds. — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 23 June 2026 Bass recently announced an initiative to repair and replace 60,000 streetlights over the next two years, and several council members have turned to their district’s discretionary funding to fix broken streetlights in their districts. — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Manhattan’s borough president, announced on Tuesday that all $50 million of his office’s annual discretionary budget would be going towards NYC arts-centric cultural programming and renovation projects. — News Desk, Artforum, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for discretionary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for discretionary

Adjective

The kitchen block is located to the right of the entry, utilizing an optional portable induction cooker, rectangular sink with flush-mount lid and available 90-L Isotherm door fridge.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 July 2026
Rather than conventional seats, the cushions are fixed directly to the chassis, and there’s an optional sustainable textile called InnoKnit, which sweeps across the sills and cockpit like a breaking wave.

— Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 7 July 2026

Definition of optional

Adjective

The reason is that the administration has shrunk the requirements for reports of immunization from states, changing the reports from mandated to voluntary.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Without control of committee gavels — and the subpoena power that comes with them — legislative inquiries from the Hill minority generally rely on the voluntary compliance from their targets to produce documents or testimony.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of voluntary

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discretion

discretionary

discretions

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“Discretionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discretionary. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of discretionary

adjective

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