Discretion Means Careful Judgment | Generated by AI
Question: What does “discretion” mean?
Answer:
Discretion means the ability to make careful decisions or to behave in a way that avoids causing problems or revealing sensitive information.
It has two common meanings:
1. Careful judgment (deciding wisely)
You choose what to do based on the situation, not rigid rules.
- The manager used discretion when approving the request.
- Teachers have discretion in grading participation.
👉 meaning: freedom + responsibility to decide wisely
2. Being careful with sensitive information (keeping things private)
You avoid saying things that could cause trouble.
- He handled the issue with discretion.
- Please use discretion when discussing internal problems.
👉 meaning: tact, confidentiality, not speaking carelessly
Related expressions
- use discretion → be careful in decisions
- at your discretion → you decide
- with discretion → carefully, privately
- lack of discretion → said something you shouldn’t
Examples in workplace context
- Commenting about team conflict publicly shows lack of discretion
- Good managers value engineers who show discretion
- Sensitive info should be handled with discretion
So in short:
discretion = careful judgment + knowing what not to say