opinion
Americannoun
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opinions
plural
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a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.
- Synonyms:
- impression, idea, notion, persuasion
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a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.
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the formal expression of a professional judgment.
to ask for a second medical opinion.
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Law. the formal statement by a judge or court of the reasoning and the principles of law used in reaching a decision of a case.
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a judgment or estimate of a person or thing with respect to character, merit, etc..
to forfeit someone's good opinion.
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Archaic. a favorable estimate; esteem.
I haven't much of an opinion of him.
noun
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judgment or belief not founded on certainty or proof
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the prevailing or popular feeling or view
public opinion
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evaluation, impression, or estimation of the value or worth of a person or thing
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an evaluation or judgment given by an expert
a medical opinion
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the advice given by a barrister or counsel on a case submitted to him or her for a view on the legal points involved
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a point open to question
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to believe that
Synonym Usage
Opinion, sentiment, view are terms for one's conclusion about something. An opinion is a belief or judgment that falls short of absolute conviction, certainty, or positive knowledge; it is a conclusion that certain facts, ideas, etc., are probably true or likely to prove so: political opinions; an opinion about art; In my opinion this is true. Sentiment (usually pl. ) refers to a rather fixed conviction, usually based on feeling or emotion rather than reasoning: These are my sentiments. View is an estimate of something, an intellectual judgment, a critical survey based on a mental examination, particularly of a public matter: views on governmental planning.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of opinion
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin opīniōn- (stem of opīniō ), derivative of opīnārī “to think, deem”
Explanation
An opinion is a belief or attitude about something that isn't necessarily based on facts. It's your opinion that dogs make better pets than cats, but your sister thinks that cats are superior. Too bad your parents' opinion is that pets are too expensive. You may have an opinion about a celebrity that I don't share. There's no way to prove who's right and who's wrong. Those are our thoughts about her, and that's the way it is. Ironically, when a judge decides a case, his or her ruling is referred to as an opinion. Even though what the judge says will become a matter of law, it's still just their opinion, based on what was presented by the two sides in a trial.
Vocabulary lists containing opinion
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 61-70
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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.
See Examples For:
As expected, the court rendered a guilty verdict against the Rueggs in August 1932, though it downgraded the death sentence to life imprisonment in a concession to international opinion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
In my opinion McInnes must win at all costs on Sunday or I personally think he's a goner.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Among Americans 18 to 29, 56% have an unfavorable opinion of India.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
He's better than Rodri at this in my opinion, but Rodri on the ball is the best in the world.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
But considering our progress, has Mr. Lawson’s opinion changed?
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
Eric has never shied away from expressing his opinions on the state of high school sports and how they can be improved.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
As a singer-songwriter with nearly 40,000 Instagram followers of her own, Amor said she’s felt the weight of having opinions — losing friends and followers and receiving critical direct messages.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
According to polls, they attract more negative opinions than any other royals, barring his scandal-plagued uncle, ex-prince Andrew.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
You will have your own opinions on that one.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
It is this that underlies his decision to declare war on ‘false rumour and the opinions of some, based on unreliable and untrustworthy foundations’.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
