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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Discretion \Dis*cre"tion\, noun [F. discr['e]tion, L. discretio separation, difference, discernment, fr. discernere, discretum. See {Discreet}, {Discern}.]
1. Disjunction; separation. [Obs.] --Mede.
2. The quality of being discreet; wise conduct and management; cautious discernment, especially as to matters of propriety and self-control; prudence; circumspection; wariness.
The better part of valor is discretion. --Shak.
The greatest parts without discretion may be fatal to their owner. --Hume.
3. Discrimination.
Well spoken, with good accent and good discretion. --Shak.
4. Freedom to act according to one's own judgment; unrestrained exercise of choice or will.
{At discretion}, without conditions or stipulations.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
discretion
noun
1: freedom to act or judge on one's own
2: knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; "the servants showed great tact and discretion" [syn: {discreetness}, {circumspection}, {prudence}]
3: refined taste; tact [syn: {delicacy}]
4: the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies [syn: {free will}]
5: the trait of judging wisely and objectively; "a man of discernment" [syn: {discernment}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
183 Moby Thesaurus words for "discretion": airtight secrecy, aloofness, alternate choice, alternative, animus, anticipation, appetence, appetency, appetite, backwardness, bashfulness, blankness, calculation, canniness, care, careful consideration, carefulness, caution, cautiousness, chilliness, choice, circumspection, circumspectness, close secrecy, closeness, coldness, command, common sense, conation, conatus, concealment, consideration, constraint, contemplation, cool judgment, coolness, crypticness, decision, deliberate stages, deliberateness, deliberation, desire, detachment, determination, diplomacy, discernment, discreetness, discrimination, disposition, distance, envisagement, envisionment, evasion, evasiveness, expressionlessness, fancy, farseeingness, farsightedness, forecast, foreglance, foregleam, foreglimpse, forehandedness, foreseeing, foresight, foresightedness, forethought, free choice, free decision, free will, frigidity, frostiness, full consent, gingerliness, good judgment, good sense, guardedness, gumption, hedge, hedging, heed, heedfulness, hesitation, hiddenness, hugger-mugger, hugger-muggery, iciness, impassiveness, impassivity, impersonality, inaccessibility, inclination, intention, introversion, judgement, judgment, judiciousness, liking, longsightedness, looking ahead, lust, mind, mindfulness, moderation, modesty, noncontingent free will, objective, option, optionality, passion, pawkiness, pleasure, policy, polity, possible choice, precaution, prediction, preference, preparation, prepublication, preview, prevision, prior consultation, prospect, prospection, providence, provision, prudence, prudentialism, prudentialness, readiness, reflection, reflectiveness, regardfulness, remoteness, repression, reserve, reservedness, resolution, restraint, reticence, reticency, retirement, safeness, safety first, sagacity, say, say-so, secrecy, secretiveness, secretness, sense, sexual desire, slowness to act, solicitude, sound judgment, soundness of judgment, standoffishness, subduedness, subterfuge, suppression, tact, tentativeness, the dark, thoroughness, thoughtfulness, unaffability, unapproachability, uncommunicativeness, uncongeniality, undemonstrativeness, unexpansiveness, unprecipitateness, velleity, volition, weighing, will, will and pleasure, will power, wisdom, wish, withdrawal, withdrawnness
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