discretion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If it’s a complex trust, as is usually the case, the trustee is granted the authority to exercise discretion to retain or distribute a portion of the trust’s income.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

I really thought the supermajority would let states define intellectual disability however they choose and give states so much discretion that they could effectively disregard constitutional safeguards.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

“The Department of Justice has reviewed this case and has decided, in its prosecutorial discretion, not to devote further resources to these criminal charges against individual defendants,” prosecutors wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Even so, Muzaffar Chishti of the Migration Policy Institute said that the executive branch has vast discretion in immigration law, particularly when invoking national security justifications, and defense attorneys may face an uphill battle.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

When judges have discretion, they may consider a defendant’s background and impose a lighter penalty if the defendant’s personal circumstances—extreme poverty or experience of abuse, for example—warrant it.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander