as in optional
subject to one's freedom of choice discretionary spending on luxuries dropped dramatically last year

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of discretionary Consumer discretionary stocks, down 2.7% across the board, were again the worst performers. Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2024 People have less money to spend on discretionary items like art and need to concentrate on economic survival and the purchase of basic commodities and needs. Zain Jaffer, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2024 But here’s some good news, at least from a retirement perspective: Generation X is spending less on discretionary purchases in 2024, Bank of America reports. Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024 But for the wealthiest one-fifth, the share of their spending on discretionary purchases actually increased. Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for discretionary 

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“Discretionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discretionary. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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