discretion

See also: discrétion

English

Etymology

From Middle English discrecioun, from Old French discretion, from Late Latin discrētiō, from Latin discerno.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪˈskɹɛʃən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

discretion (usually uncountable, plural discretions)

1. Individual justice from experience in quality of perception: discrete.

   The police came and searched us at their discretion because we were shouting at each other's faces.

2. The quality of being discreet.

   Bob showed great discretion despite his knowledge of the affair.

3. The ability to make wise choices or decisions.
   • 1838, Thomas Edlyne Tomlins, A Popular Law-Dictionary:

     With regard to a woman, at nine years of age, she was, if married, considered entitled to her dower; at twelve, she may consent to marriage; at fourteen, she is at years of discretion, and may choose a guardian; […]

4. The freedom to make one's own judgements.

   I leave that to your discretion.

Antonyms

• indiscretion

Derived terms

• abuse of discretion
• age of discretion
• discretional
• discretionary
• discretion is the better part of valour
• discretionless
• surrender at discretion

 

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *krey- (0 c, 86 e)

Translations

the quality of being discreet or circumspect

• Bulgarian: дискретност (bg) f (diskretnost)
• Catalan: discreció (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 謹慎／谨慎 (zh) (jǐnshèn)

• Czech: diskrétnost f, ohleduplnost (cs) f
• Dutch: discretie (nl) f
• Esperanto: diskreteco
• Finnish: hienotunteisuus (fi), hienovaraisuus (fi), tahdikkuus (fi)
• French: discrétion (fr) f
• German: Diskretion (de) f, Takt (de) m, Verschwiegenheit (de) f, Angemessenheit (de) f, Unaufdringlichkeit f
• Greek: διακριτικότητα (el) f (diakritikótita), εχεμύθεια (el) f (echemýtheia)
• Hindi: विवेक (hi) (vivek)
• Italian: discrezione (it) f, riservatezza (it) f
• Kazakh: абайлаушылық (abailauşylyq)
• Malayalam: വിവേകം (ml) (vivēkaṁ)
• Norwegian: diskresjon m
• Polish: dyskrecja (pl) f
• Portuguese: discrição (pt) f
• Romanian: discreție (ro) f, rezervă (ro) f
• Russian: осмотри́тельность (ru) f (osmotrítelʹnostʹ)
• Spanish: discreción (es) f
• Swedish: diskretion (sv)
• Ukrainian: обачність f (obačnistʹ), обережність f (oberežnistʹ)
• Welsh: pwyll (cy) m

the ability to make wise choices or decisions

• Bulgarian: благоразумие (bg) n (blagorazumie)
• Catalan: discreció (ca) f
• Czech: uvážlivost f, soudnost (cs) f
• Finnish: tilannetaju (fi), harkintakyky (fi)
• French: discernement (fr) f
• Georgian: კეთილგონიერება (ḳetilgoniereba)
• German: Klugheit (de) f, Umsicht (de) f
• Greek: σύνεση (el) f (sýnesi), περίσκεψη (el) f (perískepsi)
• Hebrew: שיקול דעת m (shikúl dá'at)
• Hindi: विवेक (hi) m (vivek)
• Irish: críonnacht f
• Italian: discernimento (it) m
• Malayalam: വിവേകം (ml) (vivēkaṁ)
• Ottoman Turkish: هوش (huş), ادراك (idrak), عقل (ʼakl, ʼakıl)
• Polish: dowolność (pl) f
• Romanian: maturitate (ro) f (de gândire)
• Russian: прозорли́вость (ru) f (prozorlívostʹ)
• Swedish: omdöme (sv)
• Ukrainian: розважливість f (rozvažlyvistʹ)
• Welsh: pwyll (cy) m

the freedom to make one's own judgements

• Armenian: հայեցողություն (hy) (hayecʻoġutʻyun)
• Bulgarian: усмотрение (bg) n (usmotrenie), преценка (bg) f (precenka)
• Czech: možnost uvážení f, možnost se rozhodnout f
• Finnish: oma harkinta
• French: discrétion (fr) f
• German: Ermessen (de) n, Gutdünken (de) n
• Greek: διακριτική ευχέρεια f (diakritikí efchéreia)
• Persian: صلاحدید (fa) (salâhdid)
• Portuguese: critério (pt) m
• Romanian: libertate de decizie f
• Russian: свобо́да де́йствий f (svobóda déjstvij), усмотре́ние (ru) n (usmotrénije)
• Ukrainian: розсуд m (rozsud)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Danish: ^{(please verify)} diskretion c
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} discreție (ro) f

Anagrams

• cretinoids, directions, doctrinise

Old French

Alternative forms

• discrecion

Noun

discretion oblique singular, f (oblique plural discretions, nominative singular discretion, nominative plural discretions)

1. discretion (ability to make one's own judgments)
   • 1377, Bernard de Gordon, Fleur de lis de medecine (a.k.a. lilium medicine):

     l’ung ou l’autre selon la discretion du medicin.

     one or the other according to the discretion of the doctor.