Discretionary vs. Optional

Discretionaryadjective

Available at one's discretion; able to be used as one chooses; left to or regulated by one's own discretion or judgment.

‘discretionary income’; ‘discretionary powers’;

Optionaladjective

Not compulsory; left to personal choice; elective.

‘On that beach clothing is entirely optional.’;

Discretionaryadjective

having or using the ability to act or decide according to your own discretion or judgment;

‘The commission has discretionary power to award extra funds’;

Optionalnoun

Something that is not compulsory, especially part of an academic course.

Discretionaryadjective

(especially of funds) not earmarked; available for use as needed;

‘discretionary funds’; ‘discretionary income’;

Optionalnoun

(programming) In the Swift programming language, a kind of variable that is assigned a specific data type but may or may not hold an actual value.

Optionaladjective

Involving an option; depending on the exercise of an option; left to one's discretion or choice; allowed but not compulsory; as, optional studies; it is optional with you to go or stay.

‘If to the former the movement was not optional, it was the same that the latter chose when it was optional.’; ‘Original writs are either optional or peremptory.’;

Optionaladjective

possible but not necessary; left to personal choice