option

B1 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˈɑpʃən/ UK /ˈɒpʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #2878

Meanings

1

noun
One of several things you can choose from.

You have two options: stay here or come with us.
2

noun
The freedom or right to choose.

Working from home is no longer an option for most of the staff.
3

noun
A contract giving the right to buy or sell something at a set price.

The studio bought an option on the rights to the novel.
4

verb
To buy the right to use or develop something later.

The film studio optioned her book before it was even published.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · one of several things you... alternative choice

More contingency possibility

Word family

Forms optionedoptioningoptions

Derived forms antioptionantioptionistco-optionmultioptionnon-optionoption-selectoptionableoptionaireoptional optionaryoptioneeoptioneering

Related forms opt optimaloptimiseoptimism optimist optimistic optimize

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

default option
the choice used automatically when a user does not select another one

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Option entered English in the mid-16th century and goes back to Latin optare, “to choose.” Adoption comes from a related Latin formation meaning “choose for oneself.”

Etymology

From French option, from Latin optiō (“choice; option; act of choosing”), from optō (“to choose, select”). Equivalent to opt + -ion.

option French optiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# option

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈɑpʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɒpʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 2878

## Meanings
1. One of several things you can choose from.
2. The freedom or right to choose.
3. A contract giving the right to buy or sell something at a set price.
4. To buy the right to use or develop something later.

## Examples
- You have two options: stay here or come with us.
- Working from home is no longer an option for most of the staff.
- The studio bought an option on the rights to the novel.
- The film studio optioned her book before it was even published.

## Synonyms
- alternative
- choice
- contingency
- possibility

## Derived Forms
- antioption
- antioptionist
- co-option
- multioption
- non-option
- option-select
- optionable
- optionaire
- optional
- optionary
- optionee
- optioneering

## Related Forms
- opt
- optimal
- optimise
- optimism
- optimist
- optimistic
- optimize

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: option
- Root: optiō

## Etymology
From French option, from Latin optiō (“choice; option; act of choosing”), from optō (“to choose, select”). Equivalent to opt + -ion.

## AI Etymology
Option comes from French option, from Latin optiō (“choice; option; act of choosing”), from optō (“to choose, select”). Equivalent to opt + -ion. The historical chain includes French option and Latin optiō. Modern senses include one of several things you can choose from and the freedom or right to choose. The wider word family includes derivatives such as antioption, antioptionist, co-option, multioption, non-option, and option-select and related forms such as opt, optimal, optimise, and optimism.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

markdown