discretionary spending

Noun

 * 1)  The amount or portion of a person's or group's expenditures which is used for non-essential or voluntary disbursements; the amount or portion of one's expenditures which one may make as one sees fit.
 * 2) The action of making such expenditures.
 * 3)  US government expenditures which are subject to annual review and authorization by Congress, as distinct from expenditures authorized by existing laws.
 * 4) * 1992, Bill Turque AND Ginny Carroll, "Ross Perot's New Tease," Newsweek, 31 Aug.:
 * Perot would cut federal discretionary spending by 15 percent, chopping items that range from the space station to the Rural Electrification Administration.
 * 1)  US government expenditures which are subject to annual review and authorization by Congress, as distinct from expenditures authorized by existing laws.
 * 2) * 1992, Bill Turque AND Ginny Carroll, "Ross Perot's New Tease," Newsweek, 31 Aug.:
 * Perot would cut federal discretionary spending by 15 percent, chopping items that range from the space station to the Rural Electrification Administration.

Antonyms

 * nondiscretionary spending