discretion

View more Law & Legal Issues videos

noun

1. The exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters: caution, circumspection, forehandedness, foresight, foresightedness, forethought, forethoughtfulness, precaution, prudence. See careful/careless.
2. Unrestricted freedom to choose: pleasure, will. See free/unfree.

In addition to the idiom beginning with discretion, also see throw caution (discretion) to the winds.

n

Definition: caution, judgment
Antonyms: carelessness, indiscretion, thoughtlessness

The reasonable exercise of a power or right to act in an official capacity; involves the idea of choice, of an exercise of the will, so that

abuse of discretion
involves more than a difference in judicial opinion between the trial and appellate courts, and in order to constitute an “abuse” of discretion, the judgment must demonstrate a perversity of will, a defiance of good judgment, or bias. 94 N.W. 2d 810, 811.
abuse of discretion see abuse of discretion.

discretionary account
in the securities trade, one in which the customer gives the broker or a third party complete or partial discretion to buy and sell securities. Such discretion typically extends to selection, price, timing, and amount purchased. 288 F. Supp. 836, 839.


judicial discretion
the reasonable use of judicial power, i.e., freedom to decide within the bounds of law and fact. See 5 F. 2d 188.


legal discretion
the use of one of several equally satisfactory provisions of law. 32 N.E. 2d 431, 432.


prosecutorial discretion
the wide range of alternatives available to a prosecutor in criminal cases, including the decision to prosecute, the particular charges to be brought, plus bargaining, mode of trial conduct, and recommendations for sentencing, parole, etc. See LaFave, Arrest 72 (1965).
A public officer has discretion whenever the effective limits on his power leave him free to make a choice among possible courses of action or inaction. Davis, Administrative Law §4.02 (3d ed. 1994).

IN BRIEF: Individual choice.

Once a python outweighs his keeper, fatal constriction is at the discretion of the python. — Zaadz.com.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

Quotes:

"Never say oops in the operating room." - Dr. Leo Troy

"I cannot and do not live in the world of discretion, not as a writer, anyway. I would prefer to, I assure you -- it would make life easier. But discretion is, unfortunately, not for novelists." - Philip Roth

"Be advised what thou dost discourse of, and what thou maintainest whether touching religion, state, or vanity; for if thou err in the first, thou shalt be accounted profane; if in the second, dangerous; if in the third, indiscreet and foolish." - Sir Walter Raleigh

"Never wrestle with a strong man nor bring a rich man to court." - Latvian Proverb

"Better a living dog than a dead lion." - Proverb

"Depart from discretion when it interferes with duty." - Hannah More

See more famous quotes about Discretion

For a list of words related to discretion, see:

• Judgments and Critiques - discretion: personal choice or judgment; ability to form free and responsible decisions

---

See words rhyming with "discretion."

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - diskretion, takt, skønsomhed, forgodtbefindende, skøn, beføjelse

idioms:

• at one's discretion    efter éns skøn

Nederlands (Dutch)
discretie, kiesheid, vrijheid eigen oordeel te vormen, geheimhouding, discretionaire bevoegdheid

Français (French)
n. - discrétion, réserve, retenue, sagesse, arbitraire, liberté d'agir

idioms:

• at one's discretion    à la discrétion de qn

Deutsch (German)
n. - Diskretion, Umsicht, Ermessen

idioms:

• at one's discretion    nach Gutdünken

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - διακριτική ευχέρεια, αβίαστη ή απόλυτη κρίση, προαίρεση, σύνεση, φρόνηση, διακριτικότητα, τακτ

idioms:

• at one's discretion    κατά την κρίση, στη διακριτική ευχέρεια

Italiano (Italian)
discrezione

idioms:

• at one's discretion    a piacimento, a discrezione

Português (Portuguese)
n. - discrição (f)

idioms:

• at one's discretion    à vontade

Русский (Russian)
осмотрительность, благоразумие, усмотрение

idioms:

• at one's discretion    на чье-либо усмотрение

Español (Spanish)
n. - discreción, circunspección, delicadeza, tacto, gusto

idioms:

• at one's discretion    a su gusto, a discreción, como guste

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - urskillning, diskretion, takt

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
慎重, 考虑, 辨别力, 判定

idioms:

• at one's discretion    自行处理, 随...的意见

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 慎重, 考慮, 辨別力, 判定

idioms:

• at one's discretion    自行處理, 隨...的意見

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 재량, 심사숙고, 행동의 자유

idioms:

• at one's discretion    ~의 재량에(있다)

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 慎重さ, 思慮, 分別, 判断の自由, 慎重

idioms:

• at one's discretion    人の自由で

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) عقلانيه, تكتم, حذر, حريه التصرف‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮זהירות, שיקול-דעת, שיפוט, תבונה, חופש לפעול כרצונו‬