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nstruct and influence intellectually or morally; to train. He will guide his affairs with discretion. Ps. cxii. 5. The meek will he guide in judgment. Ps. xxv. 9.

s of mind; caprices; freaks; vagaries; whims. Is my friend all perfection, all virtue and discretion Has he not humors to be endured South.

e of being imprudent; want to caution, circumspection, or a due regard to consequences; indiscretion; inconsideration; reshness; also, an imprudent act; as, he was guilty of an imprudence. His serenity was interrupted, perhaps, by his own imprudence. Mickle.

Not prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper. -- Im*pru"dent*ly, adv. Her majesty took a great dislike at the imprudent behavior of many of the ministers and readers. Strype.

Not discreet; wanting in discretion. So drunken, and so indiscreet an officer. Shak.

Not according to sound judgment or discretion; unwise; as, an injudicious measure.

The quality of being injudicious; want of sound judgment; indiscretion. Whitlock.

Undefined quantity; extent; degree. There is a great measure of discretion to be used in the performance of confession. Jer. Taylor.

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

To exceed in sporting. [R.] "Not to outsport discretion." Shak.

Hence: Not admitting of any doubt, condition, qualification, or discretion; not dependent on circumstances or probabilities; not speculative; compelling assent or obedience; peremptory; indisputable; decisive; as, positive instructions; positive truth; positive proof. "'T is positive 'gainst all exceptions." Shak.…

The quality or state of being prudent; wisdom in the way of caution and provision; discretion; carefulness; hence, also, economy; frugality. Prudence is principally in reference to actions to be done, and due means, order, seasons, and method of doing or not doing. Sir M. Hale. Prudence supposes the value of the end to…

Exercising prudence; discretionary; advisory; superintending or executive; as, a prudential committee.

To make a queen (or other piece, at the player's discretion) of by moving it to the eighth row; as, to queen a pawn.

Seriousness; gravity; discretion. [Obs.] Her sadness and her benignity. Chaucer.

to be relied upon; not dangerous; as, a safe harbor; a safe bridge, etc. "The man of safe discretion." Shak. The King of heaven hath doomed This place our dungeon, not our safe retreat. Milton.

ard of; to divide into small pieces; to cut short or down. [Obs.] All their pay Must your discretion scantle; keep it back. J. Webster.

Fig.: The head; the skull; also, brains; sense; discretion. [Colloq.] To knock him about the sconce with a dirty shovel. Shak.

g, or entitled to, original authority or jurisdiction; as, a sovereign state; a sovereign discretion.

To leave or commit to the discretion or judgment of another or others; to refer; as, to submit a controversy to arbitrators; to submit a question to the court; -- often followed by a dependent proposition as the object. Whether the condition of the clergy be able to bear a heavy burden, is submitted to the house. Swift…