What does discretion mean?
Word: Discretion
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Discretion means careful good judgement, especially about keeping private things private and not upsetting people. It also means the freedom to decide, as in 'at the teacher's discretion'.
Synonyms: tact, good sense, judgement
Antonyms: indiscretion, carelessness
How do you spell discretion?
Syllables: dis - cre - tion
Tricky part: Students who know the adjective with its double e carry it across and write discreetion or discreation; the noun keeps only one e there.
Watch out for: discreation, discrettion, discreetion
Memory tip: Two e's in the adjective, one in the noun: think 'one secret, one e'.
Idioms and Phrases
- discretion is the better part of valour: it is wiser to be careful than to take a foolish risk Example: "When the sky turned dark, Arjun decided discretion was the better part of valour and skipped the boat ride."
Discretion in a sentence
Example 1: The doctor used discretion and did not discuss the patient's health with the neighbours.
Example 2: Extra marks for neat work are given at the teacher's discretion.
Example 3: Please use discretion when you share photos of your friends online.
Fun Fact
The saying 'discretion is the better part of valour' goes back to Shakespeare: in Henry IV, Part 1, the comic knight Falstaff says 'The better part of valour is discretion.'
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the misspelt word/s in the given sentence:
The librarian used discresion and did not read out the names of the late borowers.
a) only borowers
b) only discresion
c) librarian and borowers
d) discresion and borowers
Show answer
d) discresion and borowers. Discretion ends in -tion, not -sion, and borrowers takes a double r.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the given sentence?
The bank manager handled the matter with great discretion and never mentioned it to the other custamers.
a) 3
b) 1
c) 2
d) 0
Show answer
b) 1. Customers has an o after the t; the rest of the sentence is correct.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
Good judgement about what to say and what to keep private is called ___.
a) direction
b) digestion
c) discretion
d) decision
Show answer
c) discretion. Direction is the way you face, a decision is a choice made and digestion breaks down food; keeping things private takes discretion.
Spellacadabra
Which word is spelt incorrectly?
a) ambition
b) nutrition
c) descretion
d) tradition
Show answer
c) descretion. The noun starts dis-, not des-; the other three are spelt correctly.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. 'At the principal's discretion' means ___.
a) against the principal's wishes
b) as the principal decides
c) without the principal
d) before the principal arrives
Show answer
b) as the principal decides
2. Which of these shows discretion?
a) keeping a friend's secret to yourself
b) shouting answers in class
c) reading someone's diary
d) telling everyone a friend's news
Show answer
a) keeping a friend's secret to yourself
