Meaning & use
discretion
Last updated
the freedom to make decisions or judgments on one's own, or the quality of being careful and tactful about what one says or does
See it in a sentence
The judge has discretion to set a lighter sentence given the circumstances.
She handled the sensitive news with great discretion, telling no one.
A note on using this word
Often misspelled 'discression.' Discretion covers two related ideas: the authority to decide something ('at the manager's discretion') and the tact to keep sensitive information private.
Words with a similar meaning
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