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 )
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

Idioms

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

“Prosecutors wield tremendous authority and discretion, and with that comes a heightened responsibility to adhere to the ethical standards of the legal profession,” said State Bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona.

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In Texas, the state constitution doesn’t specify timing, so the redrawing of maps is left to the discretion of the governor and the Legislature.

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But penalties are at the stewards' discretion and in this case they decided to give Verstappen a 10-second penalty, a relatively severe sanction, and three points on his licence.

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There was a promise to "protect Canadians and their sovereign rights", but with diplomatic discretion, there was no mention of who might be threatening the country's independence.

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It is up to PGMOL's discretion to determine if a club has a strong association with that other club.

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Related 51�Թ�s

attention��
foresight��
maturity��
prudence��
responsibility��
tact��
vigilance��
wisdom��

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

discrete variable discretional

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