Meaning & use
discretionary services
Last updated
Meaning
nounpluralbusinessformal
Services that a person or organization can choose to use or provide, and that are not required by law or contract.
Grammar: Plural noun phrase: discretionary services are optional.
Patterns
- cut discretionary services
The council cut discretionary services such as free concerts before touching rubbish collection.
Spa treatments are discretionary services that hotels bill separately.
In a tight year, discretionary services are the first to be reduced.
Common combinations
- cut discretionary services
- Budgets forced the city to cut discretionary services.
- fund discretionary services
- Taxes fund discretionary services too.
- discretionary services fee
- A discretionary services fee was added to the bill.
- offer discretionary services
- Banks offer discretionary services to wealthy clients.
- provide discretionary services
- Providers may provide discretionary services at their own cost.
Synonyms and how they differ
- optional extras
- Plainer and used for add-ons in consumer settings.
- non-essential services
- Emphasizes need, not choice.
- elective services
- Used mainly for health care that is not urgent.
- add-ons
- Informal for extras bought on top of something.
Opposites
Word family
- discretion noun
- freedom to decide
- discretionary adjective
- left to choice
- mandatory adjective
- required
- services noun
- work done for others
Practice
Which of these is most likely a discretionary service for a city council?
Choose one answer.
A concert series is optional and not required by law. The other services are required by duty or law.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “discretionary services”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.