Discretionary means not locked down by a strict rule. Someone in a position of authority may decide. A manager may have a discretionary fund: a pot of money they may use as they see fit. A school may have discretionary help for a student who cannot pay. In law and government, discretionary power means the official may choose, inside a range, rather than being forced to one answer. It is a formal office-and-news word. Though actually, it does not mean “secret” or “quiet,” even though it sits beside discretion and discreet. And it is not discrete (separate). The heart of this word is choice, not privacy and not gaps.