Vocabulary
Discretionary
English and Urdu gloss, synonyms and antonyms, and example usage from our editorial sentence cache where available.
English meaning
available for use at the discretion of the user.
Example sentences (from Dawn)
Sentences are selected from stored editorial text where your search word appears. If none appear yet, run the admin sentence generator for fuller coverage.
- And it reduces the scope for discretionary decision-making.
- It measured the sway of discretionary power in making spending decisions.
- Above all, finance ministries must prioritise adaptation funding instead of treating it as a discretionary add-on.
- Provinces need a legally binding monsoon calendar that completes drain cleaning, encroachment removal and transformer insulation by June 1, with discretionary funds withheld from agencies that miss the deadline.
- The current system suffers from convenient escape hatches, with Section 7 of the RTI Act providing broad exemptions and ministers wielding discretionary powers to classify records.
Synonyms
optional, non-compulsory, voluntary, at one’s discretion, up to the individual
Antonyms
compulsory, obligatory
Curator example
“there has been an increase in year-end discretionary bonuses”
More vocabulary to explore
About this vocabulary section.
These entries support close reading of Dawn editorials and opinion pieces: short definitions,
Urdu equivalents where we have them, word relations, and—when generated—real lines from the editorial archive
so you can see tone and usage.
Common questions
- Do I need to sign up to use this vocabulary page?
- No. Word pages are open to everyone. You can read meanings in English and Urdu, synonyms and antonyms, and example sentences without creating an account.
- Where do the example sentences come from?
- When available, example sentences are drawn from cached matches in our Dawn editorial corpus so you can see how a word is used in real newsroom-style prose.
- How is this different from a dictionary?
- This section is curated for students preparing for competitive exams and editorial reading. Entries are compact, often include Urdu glosses, and are paired with in-context lines from editorials when we have them.
