discretionary income
noun
: income that is left after paying for things that are essential, such as food and housing
She has enough discretionary income to pay for a nice vacation each year.
Examples of discretionary income in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Historically, at least, IDR plans limit borrowers’ monthly payments to a share of their discretionary income and cancel any remaining debt after a certain period, typically 20 years or 25 years.
—
Annie Nova, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2025
The Sports Stock Index saw most of the damage in stocks that rely on consumer discretionary income including ticket brokers, sports betting stocks and sports apparel and equipment makers, though the bearishness was widespread.
—Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 1 Apr. 2025
This is clearly negative for Netflix, which relies on discretionary income.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
The plans cap borrowers’ monthly payments at a share of their discretionary income and cancel any remaining debt after a certain period, typically 20 years or 25 years.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discretionary income
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Annie Nova, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2025
The Sports Stock Index saw most of the damage in stocks that rely on consumer discretionary income including ticket brokers, sports betting stocks and sports apparel and equipment makers, though the bearishness was widespread.
—Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 1 Apr. 2025
This is clearly negative for Netflix, which relies on discretionary income.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
The plans cap borrowers’ monthly payments at a share of their discretionary income and cancel any remaining debt after a certain period, typically 20 years or 25 years.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discretionary income
Cite this Entry
“Discretionary income.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discretionary%20income. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share