Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- the power or right to decide or act according to one’s own judgment; freedom of judgment or choice: It is entirely within my discretion whether I will go or stay.
- the quality of being discreet, especially with reference to one’s own actions or speech; prudence or decorum: Throwing all discretion to the winds, he blurted out the truth.
- at discretion, at one’s option or pleasure: They were allowed to work overtime at discretion.
noun
- the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid social embarrassment or distress
- freedom or authority to make judgments and to act as one sees fit (esp in the phrases at one’s own discretion, at the discretion of)
- age of discretion or years of discretion the age at which a person is considered to be able to manage his own affairs
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.
In addition to the idiom beginning with discretion
- discretion is the better part of valor
also see:
- throw caution (discretion) to the winds