as in optional
subject to one's freedom of choice
discretionary spending on luxuries dropped dramatically last year
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Recent Examples of discretionary
The intention with the resolution was to broaden protections and to remove the discretionary power for Sheriff Martinez to share information with immigration agencies.
—
Pedro Rios, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2025
Even with the reductions, 2026 discretionary spending would remain essentially unchanged at $1.6 trillion.
—Veronique De Rugy, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025
The must-read (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) The National Park Service would lose 40% of its annual funding and hundreds of parks to state control if Congress approves President Trump’s discretionary budget request, Outside magazine reports.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
The discretionary nature of the revisions should also allow schools to navigate any Title IX requirements that might arise.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
Pedro Rios, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2025
Even with the reductions, 2026 discretionary spending would remain essentially unchanged at $1.6 trillion.
—Veronique De Rugy, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025
The must-read (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) The National Park Service would lose 40% of its annual funding and hundreds of parks to state control if Congress approves President Trump’s discretionary budget request, Outside magazine reports.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
The discretionary nature of the revisions should also allow schools to navigate any Title IX requirements that might arise.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for discretionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discretionary
Adjective
-
Place the basil leaves (and optional lemon zest) into a clean glass jar.—
Claudia Alarcón,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
Inside the cozy cockpit, leather, burl wood, and side curtains with sliding plastic windows take the driver back many decades to a time when radios were an optional nuisance—all that mattered was the vehicle and the road.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
These are also voluntary workouts, so no need to sound an alarm just yet.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
-
The drills are still meant to be non-contact during the voluntary sessions.—
Thuc Nhi Nguyen,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discretionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discretionary. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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