option
Americannoun
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the power or right of choosing.
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something that may be or is chosen; choice.
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the act of choosing.
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an item of equipment or a feature that may be chosen as an addition to or replacement for standard equipment and features.
a car with a long list of extra-cost options;
a telephoto lens option for a camera.
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a privilege acquired, as by the payment of a premium or consideration, of demanding, within a specified time, the carrying out of a transaction upon stipulated terms; the right, as granted in a contract or by an initial payment, of acquiring something in the future.
We bought one lot and took a 90-day option on an adjoining one.
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Football. a play in which a back has a choice of either passing or running with the ball.
verb (used with object)
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to acquire or grant an option on.
The studio has optioned his latest novel for film adaptation.
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to provide with optional equipment.
The car can be fully optioned at additional cost.
noun
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the act or an instance of choosing or deciding
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the power or liberty to choose
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an exclusive opportunity, usually for a limited period, to buy something at a future date
he has a six-month option on the Canadian rights to this book
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commerce the right to buy ( call option ) or sell ( put option ) a fixed quantity of a commodity, security, foreign exchange, etc, at a fixed price at a specified date in the future See also traded option
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something chosen; choice
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short for local option
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not to commit oneself
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See soft option
verb
Synonym Usage
See choice.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has optionedperfect 3rd person singular
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have optionedperfect
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has been optioningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is optioningprogressive 3rd person singular
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are optioningprogressive
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am optioningprogressive 1st person singular
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optionssingular 3rd person
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optioningparticiple
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have been optioningperfect progressive
Past
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had optionedperfect
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had been optioningperfect progressive
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optionedsimple
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optionedparticiple
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were optioningprogressive plural
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was optioningprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of option
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin optiōn-, stem of optiō “choice,” equivalent to op(tāre) “to select” ( see opt) + -tiō -tion
Explanation
An option is a possibility or choice. In football, a quarterback with three wide receivers has (at least) three throwing options. An option is something that can be chosen — it's a possibility. Even something crazy — like jumping off a cliff — is always an option, just not a good one. There are lots of technical uses of option in business and legal writing. If you have the option on a house, you have the right to buy it. In sports, a free agent has the option of joining another team. No matter what you do, it's nice to have options. When we have no options, we feel trapped.
Vocabulary lists containing option
The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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The ACT: The Language of the Test, List 1
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Option contract trading for Avis surged to 155,000 on Tuesday, with implied volatility exceeding 300%, making options costly.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
Those four guys at the top of the Dodgers lineup — that Option 2 above — carry contracts worth a combined $1.5 billion.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
It self-selects Option B, accepting liability exposure in exchange for opacity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
One crucial indicator for the market that Hartnett is following closely is the Merrill Option Volatility Estimate Index, or MOVE, a measure of volatility in the bond market.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026
Option One was easier, but I really didn’t want to have to redo this simulation for the sixth time, so Option Two it was.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
