26984 words

discretionary

7 definitions • 16 examples
1
able to be decided by a particular person or group in a particular situation, rather than being controlled by rules or being the same for everyone; relating to the power to make these decisions:

Examples:

discretionary sentencing Discretionary sentencing is intended to take into account the range of possible aggravating and mitigating factors in any serious crime.
discretionary powers Judges have great discretionary powers.
These pay rises are purely discretionary.
discretionary grant Some building work on your home may qualify for a discretionary grant, which means it is up to the council whether you receive it.
discretionary service charge mainly UK The 12.5% discretionary service charge is exactly that — if the customer does not wish to pay it, they do not have to.
2
relating to things that you pay for that are not considered completely necessary, or to money spent on these things:

Examples:

discretionary spending Households have already cut back on discretionary spending amid worries about the economic outlook.
discretionary purchases Consumer spending has shrunk, with most people cutting back on discretionary purchases, such as hotel stays.
discretionary income He suggests that any discretionary income should be used to pay off loans before using it to make investments.
3
A discretionary fund (= an amount of money saved or invested for someone) allows the person who manages the fund to make decisions about how the money in it is managed and used, without asking the person who the money belongs to:

Examples:

discretionary trust Trustees of a discretionary trust may be able to decide which beneficiary to make payments to and how often payments are made.
With a discretionary account, a broker makes trades for you.
4
available to someone by choice, without having to get permission or authority:

Examples:

Once your kids have discretionary money of their own, they can pay for their own DVDs.
5
used to describe an amount of money in a budget that can be reduced if necessary:

Examples:

discretionary expenditure/spending
He renewed his call on the Legislature to freeze discretionary funds already approved but not spent.
7
relating to an arrangement in which an investment manager or broker has the authority to make investment decisions without instructions from their client:

Examples:

Wealth management companies offer discretionary and advisory services to those with more than £100,000 to invest.

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