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discretion
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
discretion
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
absolute
▪ Secure file. Absolute discretion required.
▪ The correction official possessed almost absolute discretion over the parole decision.
▪ Cancellation by us may be necessary in exceptional circumstances and we reserve the right in our absolute discretion to cancel your holiday.
▪ The Council of the Research Defence Society reserves absolute discretion as to who shall be elected to membership.
administrative
▪ The latitude for administrative discretion in individual cases surely encouraged rather than checked official corruption.
▪ And even then, the content and boundaries of the offensive behaviour are matters of administrative discretion.
▪ The judgments in notorious cases which had decided that there could be unfettered administrative discretion were repudiated.
▪ Legislative mandate and legal offence are linked by an unguided and pervasive administrative discretion.
considerable
▪ Where business executives are concerned, employers tend to have considerable discretion in the way that they implement redundancies.
▪ The test of benefit of a class leaves the courts considerable discretion as to how to define the class.
▪ Although local authorities have considerable discretion in staffing matters, some officers must statutorily be appointed.
▪ Many policies are not based on rule books and central government allows considerable discretion to the local state.
▪ However, the courts possess considerable discretion as to whether to utilise this armoury.
▪ The authority has considerable discretion in this matter.
▪ We have already noted that agents are often given considerable discretion by lenders.
▪ The tribunal will also have considerable discretion in deciding whether or not the reasons given are adequate.
great
▪ It is felt that it leaves the police too great a discretion as to what type of conduct is unacceptable.
▪ This greater discretion was also evident in the establishment of the administrative and decisionmaking process.
▪ With great discretion, the overcoats in the front pews blew their noses.
▪ Tax-exempt financing provided the local government development official with a great deal of discretion.
▪ With great discretion, Laurence Evenden released the excess gas pressure in his duodenum.
▪ With great discretion, Dyson yawned, straining his muscles to keep his mouth shut at the same time.
▪ Further he comments that the male has the greater discretion of reason.
▪ General authority gives the subordinate greater discretion and flexibility.
judicial
▪ How far judicial discretion on sentencing should be directed by Government policy is problematic.
▪ Since each matrimonial property or custody dispute is to be decided according to judicial discretion the result is that litigation abounds.
▪ A judicial discretion is the essence of real justice.
▪ The rent awarded by the court under s24A may be considerably tempered by judicial discretion.
local
▪ Where the implementation of such strategic highs is in question the centre will limit the action space around interpretability and local discretion.
▪ Suggests that some recommendations are over-prescriptive and that more local discretion would be preferable.
▪ Case studies also reveal evidence of local discretion in other respects.
▪ The government has moved beyond exhortation to compulsion and thus removed yet another strand of local discretion.
▪ The latter is in some cases subject to statutory regulation, in others it is a matter of local discretion.
unfettered
▪ It was argued on behalf of the Minister that the legislation gave him an unfettered discretion as to whether to refer or not.
▪ This is clearly a virtually unfettered discretion.
▪ The judgments in notorious cases which had decided that there could be unfettered administrative discretion were repudiated.
wide
▪ This passage is somewhat unsatisfactory in its lack of certainty and in the wide discretion it appears to leave to the courts.
▪ Such an approach appears to give schools and judges wide discretion to determine what is reasonable and what are legitimate educational concerns.
▪ This very wide discretion the judge may exercise in different ways in different cases or in different types of cases.
▪ Business units will then have wide discretion concerning how they structure themselves and operate to obtain the desired results.
▪ Store managers have a wide discretion to select what clothing, shoes and accessories their stores sell, based on local preferences.
▪ It will be appreciated that this rule gives the registrar a wide discretion.
▪ In assessing compensation, a tribunal has wide discretion.
▪ Such a wide discretion must be exercised fairly if it is to comply with the requirements of natural justice.
■ VERB
allow
▪ It may be too bound by rules and not allow individuals to exercise discretion within their work. 5.
▪ Instead, each airline was to be allowed to use its discretion as to frequency and capacity within reasonable grounds.
▪ Many policies are not based on rule books and central government allows considerable discretion to the local state.
▪ I do allow a slight discretion in these matters.
▪ But under the present system he is not allowed any discretion.
▪ Any organisation will have a mixture of formal and informal rules and will allow discretion.
▪ The next sixty years were to see a rise in the classroom autonomy of teachers allowing them growing discretion within their classrooms.
decide
▪ After a while, deciding that discretion was preferable, they moved off some distance into the desert parallel to the road.
▪ Having seen his ally overwhelmed in this startling fashion, Count Vulgrin decided that discretion was the better part of valour.
▪ Since each matrimonial property or custody dispute is to be decided according to judicial discretion the result is that litigation abounds.
determine
▪ With discretion, employers determined not to employ Catholics can continue to discriminate because of the weaknesses in the Act.
▪ Such an approach appears to give schools and judges wide discretion to determine what is reasonable and what are legitimate educational concerns.
▪ The Commission also has significant discretion to determine which crimes have been punished too leniently, and which too severely.
exercise
▪ He therefore failed to exercise at all the statutory discretion.
▪ In his view the whole of s.3 is concerned with the matters to be considered when the court exercises its discretion.
▪ This means that the Tribunal has to ask whether the Minister acted reasonably in exercising his discretion to grant a warrant.
▪ For example, the social worker exercises discretion in individual case work.
▪ The Divisional Court concluded that Mr Bartle exercised his discretion without flaw.
▪ Examples might include complaints about excessive delay, errors, discourtesy or the way in which the Revenue has exercised discretion.
▪ But he said the Department of Transport had exercised its discretion on whether to buy the property.
▪ If this is not done, the court may exercise its discretion not to sanction the scheme.
give
▪ General authority gives the subordinate greater discretion and flexibility.
▪ But if there is a special condition, the trustee could be given more discretion.
▪ It was argued on behalf of the Minister that the legislation gave him an unfettered discretion as to whether to refer or not.
▪ Kasich said children might better be served through streamlining Medicaid and giving governors more discretion on coverage.
▪ We have already noted that agents are often given considerable discretion by lenders.
▪ Alexander was startled at having been given so much discretion at this critical moment in the battle.
▪ S 91 of the Law of Property Act 1925 gives the Court discretion to order the sale of a mortgaged property.
▪ The governors will often give the chairman discretion to act on their behalf.
leave
▪ It leaves less to the discretion of the court and has decided on a maximum sentence of just five years.
▪ I leave it to your discretion whether you should tell the Professors that they are 114 both wrong, or both right.
▪ The test of benefit of a class leaves the courts considerable discretion as to how to define the class.
▪ The mechanical following of rules would leave little scope for discretion to be exercised.
▪ It may be like a questionnaire, leaving the interviewer no discretion as to how to ask the questions or in what order.
▪ Gratuities to your driver and escort which are left to your discretion.
▪ They can safely be left to the discretion of the judge.
▪ In effect, the question of calculating the multiplier is left to the discretion and experience of the judges.
limit
▪ Densan tended initially to limit managerial discretion much more and thus seemed to offer a better alternative for labour.
refuse
▪ But the possibility of them convinces me that his discretion to refuse is not absolute or unfettered.
require
▪ In addition, modern legislation often requires official discretion to be exercised before final decisions are made.
retain
▪ Under the community charge, they retained that discretion.
▪ The appropriate minister retains complete discretion whether or not to refer a merger to the Commission, and whether or not to accept any recommendation.
use
▪ Instead, each airline was to be allowed to use its discretion as to frequency and capacity within reasonable grounds.
▪ They were now to be trusted to use their own discretion.
▪ In all cases, we reserve the right to use our discretion in offering students any particular style or type of accommodation.
▪ Health authorities would be encouraged, he said, to use discretion to ensure medical care is free.
▪ Sonia's deportation was only reversed because the Home Secretary used his discretion to consider the compassionate circumstances of her case.
▪ Inspect carefully using discretion as to how far to proceed. 3.
▪ Mr. Lloyd Section 39 is available for the police to use at their discretion.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
be the soul of discretion
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Absolute discretion is required from everyone working for the Royal Family.
▪ Can junior managers be trusted to exercise discretion when making decisions?
▪ I leave it to your discretion as to whether you should tell your colleagues.
▪ The hotel has built a reputation on its discretion for the past 25 years.
▪ TV commentators have shown great discretion, glossing over the problems in her personal life.
▪ You can tell Martin anything -- he's the very soul of discretion.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ It concerns the whole matter of judicial control over ministerial discretion.
▪ Kasich said children might better be served through streamlining Medicaid and giving governors more discretion on coverage.
▪ Latecomers are admitted at the discretion of the manager.
▪ So the court has full discretion over litigation costs incurred in proceedings between mortgagor and mortgagee.
▪ The governors will often give the chairman discretion to act on their behalf.
▪ The president could use his constitutional powers to move troops about at his discretion.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Discretion

Discretion \Dis*cre"tion\, n. [F. discr['e]tion, L. discretio separation, difference, discernment, fr. discernere, discretum. See Discreet, Discern.]

  1. Disjunction; separation. [Obs.]
    --Mede.

  2. The quality of being discreet; wise conduct and management; cautious discernment, especially as to matters of propriety and self-control; prudence; circumspection; wariness.

    The better part of valor is discretion.
    --Shak.

    The greatest parts without discretion may be fatal to their owner.
    --Hume.

  3. Discrimination.

    Well spoken, with good accent and good discretion.
    --Shak.

  4. Freedom to act according to one's own judgment; unrestrained exercise of choice or will.

    At discretion, without conditions or stipulations.

Related phrases:
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
discretion

c.1300, dyscrecyun, "moral discernment," from Old French discrecion or directly from Late Latin discretionem (nominative discretio) "discernment, power to make distinctions," in classical Latin "separation, distinction," noun of state from past participle stem of discernere "to separate, distinguish" (see discern). Phrase at (one's) discretion attested from 1570s, from sense of "power to decide or judge" (late 14c.); the age of discretion (late 14c.) in English law was 14.

Wiktionary
discretion

n. 1 The quality of being discreet or circumspect. 2 The ability to make wise choices or decisions. 3 The freedom to make one's own judgements.

Related phrases:
WordNet
discretion

  1. n. freedom to act or judge on one's own

  2. knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; "the servants showed great tact and discretion" [syn: discreetness, circumspection, prudence]

  3. refined taste; tact [syn: delicacy]

  4. the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies [syn: free will]

  5. the trait of judging wisely and objectively; "a man of discernment" [syn: discernment]

Wikipedia
Discretion

Discretion has the meaning of acting on one's own authority and judgement. In law, discretion as to legal rulings, such as whether evidence is excluded at a trial, may be exercised by a judge. Some view discretion negatively, while some view it positively. Discretion is at all levels of law enforcement.

Discretion (disambiguation)

Discretion may refer to:

  • Discretion, the ability to act or make a decision according to one's own choice
  • Judicial discretion, the power of the judiciary to make some decisions according to their discretion
  • "Discretion," a song by Pedro the Lion from the album Achilles Heel (album)
Discretion (album)

Discretion is a live album by saxophonist Tim Berne's Bloodcount which was recorded in 1997 and released on Berne's Screwgun label.

Related phrases:

Usage examples of "discretion".

To the Federalists, the bill was a flagrant attempt to diminish the power of the President to the benefit of the Senate, and they adamantly objected, arguing that the removal of ranking officials in the executive branch must be at the sole discretion of the President.

These be generally alms or works of charity of them that have temporal riches or discretion in counselling.

This stern refusal, and a last unsuccessful effort, obliged Aureolus to yield the city and himself to the discretion of the conqueror.

Not, therefore, excited by vanity, but sustained by self-respect, by an overpowering feeling that he owed it to himself and the opinions he held, to show to the world that they had not been lightly adopted and should not be lightly laid aside, Bentinck rose, long past the noon of night, at the end of this memorable debate, to undertake an office from which the most successful and most experienced rhetoricians of Parliament would have shrunk with intuitive discretion.

Supreme Court is subject to control by Congress in the exercise of the broadest discretion.

Nicky Brompton, whom the porter acknowledged with obsequious discretion because he had visited another lady in the building on previous occasions.

A maidservant poured wine and brought a tray of delicacies, withdrawing with the immaculate discretion of one trained to serve an adept of Cereus House.

Where it directs a specific sum to be paid to a certain person, neither the Secretary of the Treasury nor any court has discretion to determine whether the person is entitled to receive it.

Yet, I feel certain that the dread she expresses of my want of discretion is only feigned, it is but a pretext to turn me out of her favour.

But it is vexing, for Whewell tells me that as soon as the preventive squadron was withdrawn the trade started again, even in the Gallinas river, and on Sherbro Island, right next to Freetown, and with a little discretion we might have seized on half a dozen, loading slaves in the estuary.

In addition to the cash income from the notions store and the hemostatic rags, which sufficed for her modest life, she had multiplied her savings by lending them to a clientele made up of the embarrassed new poor, who accepted her excessive interest rates for the sake of her discretion.

Qinnitan asked after they had walked for some distance in silence and were nearing the gate to the Seclusion Luian only waved her hand, whether because of discretion or irritation was hard to say.

I trust: I think I betray no confidences or offend against professional discretion when I say that our captain is a paederast, that he calls young foremast hands into his cabin by night, and that the officers are much concerned, since these youths are much favoured, which in time will destroy discipline altogether.

United States, the President is invested with certain important political powers, in the exercise of which he is to use his own discretion, and is accountable only to his country in his political character, and to his own conscience.

Rhyssa was of two minds on that discretion: she would have liked to sample reactions to their presence and perhaps catch other biases, but now she felt free, legitimately, to catch the prevailing mental climate of the Station.