option
OP-shuhn
Option (noun) means one of the choices available to someone in a given situation. Example: “Which option would you choose if both flights were the same price?”
noun
1
One of the choices available to someone in a given situation.
"Which option would you choose if both flights were the same price?"
"We're still weighing our options before signing the lease."
"There's an option to upgrade to a larger room for a small fee."
2
A finance contract giving the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at an agreed price by a certain date.
"He bought stock options, betting the share price would rise."
"She sold a put option to protect her shares from a sudden fall."
"The trader let the option expire because the price never reached the agreed level."
How to use option
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA choice available to you — or, in finance, a contract that lets you choose to buy/sell later at a set price.
Common pairings
weigh your options
stock options
the only option
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Word forms
- Plural
- options
- Third person singular
- options
- Past tense
- optioned
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Which _____ would you choose if both flights were the same price?
Etymology
From French option, from Latin optio, "choice," from optare, "to choose."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for option
region
ablation
allusion
emulsion
ideation
novation
diffusion
elocution
extension
oxidation
perfusion
selection
See all rhymes for option →
Frequently asked questions
What does “option” mean?
The word “option” means one of the choices available to someone in a given situation. In plain terms, a choice available to you — or, in finance, a contract that lets you choose to buy/sell later at a set price.
How do you pronounce “option”?
“Option” is pronounced OP-shuhn (/ˈɑpʃən/ in IPA).
How do you use “option” in a sentence?
Here is “option” used in a sentence: “We're still weighing our options before signing the lease.”
What is another word for “option”?
Words with a similar meaning to “option” include alternative, choice, possibility and contingency.
What part of speech is “option”?
“Option” is a noun.
Where does the word “option” come from?
The word “option” comes from Latin. From French option, from Latin optio, "choice," from optare, "to choose.".
Is “option” a common word?
“Option” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “option” have?
“Option” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: one of the choices available to someone in a given situation.
What is the difference between an option and a choice?
An option is one of the possibilities available to you, while a choice is the act of selecting one, or the option you actually pick. You weigh up your options, then make a choice. Put simply, options are what you can choose from; a choice is the decision itself.
What is the difference between an option and an alternative?
An option is any available possibility. An alternative is specifically a different option offered in place of another, often as a substitute or backup. Every alternative is an option, but not every option is framed as an alternative. Alternative implies contrast with something already proposed or preferred.
What is an example of an option?
On a menu, each dish is an option; on a form, each box you can tick is an option. When deciding how to travel, driving, taking the train, and flying are all options. In each case, an option is simply one of the paths open to you in that situation.
What is the opposite of having options?
The opposite is having no choice, or being forced into a single course of action. Words like necessity, obligation, or constraint capture this. Where options mean freedom to select among possibilities, their absence means the outcome is fixed and you cannot pick differently, however you might prefer to.
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