discretionary
discretionary — 形容詞
1. not fixed by rules or laws, but left for the person in charge to decide based on
裁量的
由個人或機構自行判斷而非規則強制的
not fixed by rules or laws, but left for the person in charge to decide based on their own judgment — for example, a manager's decision about which team members receive a bonus.
The judge has discretionary power to reduce the sentence for first-time offenders.
法官有裁量權，可對初犯者減輕刑期。
discretionary + power for legal authority
School principals in Taiwan have discretionary authority over minor disciplinary matters.
台灣的校長對輕微的紀律問題有裁量權。
Whether the company funds the project is entirely discretionary and depends on the board's decision.
公司是否資助該專案全屬裁量性質，由董事會決定。
Bilal's discretionary bonus reflected his outstanding performance over the past year.
Bilal 的裁量性獎金反映了他過去一年的優異表現。
Each department head receives a discretionary budget to spend on staff training activities.
每位部門主管都有一筆裁量預算，用於員工培訓活動。
- optional
broader term; anything you can choose or not is optional, but not every optional matter involves someone's authority to decide
- elective
suggests a choice made by voting or personal preference; more common in academic or political contexts
- non-mandatory
more literal and less formal; emphasises that something is not required by rule
- mandatory
required by law or rule, leaving no room for personal judgment
- compulsory
forced by a rule or authority; stronger than mandatory
- obligatory
required by duty, law, or social convention
文法句型
discretionary + noun
be + discretionary
用法筆記
Frequently used attributively before nouns such as 'power,' 'authority,' 'decision,' or 'budget.' The predicative form (e.g., 'The decision is discretionary') is less common but grammatically correct.
常見錯誤
2. describes money spent on things that people want but do not strictly need for ba
非必要
非生活必需的消費或支出
describes money spent on things that people want but do not strictly need for basic living — such as dining out at restaurants, holidays, electronics, or luxury goods.
The family cut back on discretionary spending after Elena lost her job.
Elena 失業後，這家人減少了非必要支出。
collocation: discretionary spending
New clothes and restaurant meals are discretionary purchases, not monthly necessities.
新衣服和餐廳用餐屬於非必要消費，而非每月必需品。
Mizuki set aside a small amount each month for discretionary expenses like concert tickets.
Mizuki 每個月會撥出一小筆錢，用於演唱會門票等非必要開銷。
During the recession consumers reduced discretionary purchases such as electronics and vacations.
經濟衰退期間，消費者減少了電子產品和度假等非必要購買。
Nkechi's household budget divides income into essentials and discretionary categories.
Nkechi 的家用預算將收入分為必要及非必要兩個類別。
- non-essential
more direct and widely understood; simply means not necessary for basic living
- non-necessary
less common; used in formal written analyses
文法句型
discretionary + noun (spending, purchase, expense)
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun in economic or personal-finance contexts. The noun phrases 'discretionary spending,' 'discretionary income,' and 'discretionary expenses' are the most common fixed expressions.
常見錯誤
3. relating to a financial arrangement in which a professional manager makes decisi
全權委託
受託人可自行決定的財務管理方式
relating to a financial arrangement in which a professional manager makes decisions about investing or distributing money, without needing permission from the owner or beneficiary each time.
Cyrus invested through a discretionary fund handled by a professional asset manager.
Cyrus 透過一個由專業資產經理人管理的全權委託基金進行投資。
collocation: discretionary fund
Under a discretionary trust the trustee can distribute income to any beneficiary as needed.
在全權委託信託架構下，受託人可依需要將收益分配給任何受益人。
Putri's grandparents set up a discretionary account for her university tuition fees.
Putri 的祖父母為她的大學學費設立了一個全權委託帳戶。
Discretionary accounts allow financial advisors to trade stocks without calling you first.
全權委託帳戶允許財務顧問自行交易股票，無需事先致電客戶。
The bank offers discretionary portfolio management for clients with high net worth.
該銀行為高資產客戶提供全權委託投資組合管理服務。
- non-discretionary
describes an account or trust where the manager must follow fixed instructions from the client or beneficiary
文法句型
discretionary + noun (fund, trust, account)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (NON-ESSENTIAL): a 'discretionary fund' in this sense refers to a management structure, not to money for non-essential purchases. The context — banking, investment, trusts — makes the intended meaning clear.