discretion.

1. Authority or freedom to choose what should be done in particular circumstances.

2. Care in avoiding unnecessary disclosure or embarrassment.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• exercise discretion
• at one's discretion

On the page

Inspectors may exercise discretion when the breach is minor.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Usually uncountable; no ordinary plural in this sense. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, description. Commonness: moderately common.