Top Definitions
Synonyms
Quiz
Related Content
More About Choice
Examples
British
Idioms And Phrases

choice

[ chois ]

/ tʃɔɪs /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: choice / choicest / choices / choiceness on Thesaurus.com

noun

an act or instance of choosing; selection: Her choice of a computer was made after months of research. His parents were not happy with his choice of friends.

the right, power, or opportunity to choose; option: The child had no choice about going to school.

the person or thing chosen or eligible to be chosen: This book is my choice. He is one of many choices for the award.

an alternative: There is another choice.

an abundance or variety from which to choose: a wide choice of candidates.

something that is preferred or preferable to others; the best part of something: Mare's Nest is the choice in the sixth race.

a carefully selected supply: This restaurant has a fine choice of wines.

a choice grade of beef.

adjective, choic·er, choic·est.

worthy of being chosen; excellent; superior.

carefully selected: choice words.

(in the grading of beef in the U.S.) rated between prime and good.

OTHER WORDS FOR choice

9 select, rare, uncommon, valuable, precious.

See synonyms for choice on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR CHOICE

Why Is It So Hard To Make A Choice?

Ah, so you chose to view this video. But, what other kinds of choices led you here?

MORE VIDEOS FROM DICTIONARY.COM

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about choice

of choice, that is generally preferred: A detached house is still the home of choice.

Origin of choice

1250–1300; Middle English chois<Old French, derivative of choisir to perceive, choose <Germanic; see choose

synonym study for choice

2. Choice, alternative, option, preference all suggest the power of choosing between things. Choice implies the opportunity to choose: a choice of evils. Alternative suggests that one has a choice between only two possibilities. It is often used with a negative to mean that there is no second possibility: to have no alternative. Option emphasizes free right or privilege of choosing: to exercise one's option. Preference applies to a choice based on liking or partiality: to state a preference. 9. See fine¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM choice

choiceless, adjectivechoicely, adverbchoiceness, nounpre·choice, noun

Words nearby choice

Choctaw, Choctawhatchee, Choëphori, chog, Chogyal, choice, choir, choirboy, choirgirl, choir loft, choirmaster

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT CHOICE

What is a basic definition of choice?

A choice is an act of choosing something from multiple options or is one of the options you can choose from. Choice also describes something as being carefully selected. Choice has several other senses as a noun and an adjective.

When a person makes a choice, they consider different options and select one of them. For example, you might look at different colors of paint for your bedroom and decide that you want red paint. Your choice of paint was red. When making a choice, the options can be physical things, like food to eat, or nonphysical things, like which direction to drive or what to name a baby. Choice comes from the verb choose, which means to select something from different options.

Real-life examples: Life is full of choices, ranging from what to eat for breakfast to what kind of job you want to have. Sadly, many people regret the choices they have made in life. We often face really tough choices where we don’t want to pick any of the options available.
Used in a sentence: She was really happy with her choice of becoming a Hollywood actress.

Choice also refers to a person or thing that is one of the possibilities a person can choose from.

Used in a sentence: I’m pretty sure going into the woods at night was the wrong choice.

Choice also describes something as being carefully chosen.

Used in a sentence: We narrowed down the menu to a few choice dishes.

Where does choice come from?

The first records of choice come from around 1250. It ultimately comes from the Old French choisir, meaning “to choose.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to choice?

choiceless (adjective)
choicely (adverb)
choiceness (noun)
prechoice (noun)

What are some synonyms for choice?

What are some words that share a root or word element with choice?

What are some words that often get used in discussing choice?

How is choice used in real life?

Choice is a very common word that means an act of picking something or an option that a person can choose.

My choice of music will tell you more about me than I ever will.

— Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) November 29, 2020

The 7-11 candy aisle gives me anxiety, too many choices.

— Sean O'Donnell (@TheSeanODonnell) January 11, 2016

Try using choice!

True or False?

A yes-or-no question has two choices for the answer.

How to use choice in a sentence

People have been forced to go online, who might not have gone there as a first choice.
Sophie Hill on the changing face of retail and surviving 2020|Margaret Trainor|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
The Prismacolor pencil set comes with an impressive variety of 150 colors, making this a great choice for art enthusiasts.
Excellent pencils for school, work, and beyond|PopSci Commerce Team|September 16, 2020|Popular-Science
The economy ranks as the top issue in the state, with 27 percent of registered voters citing it as the single most important issue in their choice for president.
Post-ABC Wisconsin poll shows Biden holding narrow edge over Trump|Dan Balz, Emily Guskin|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Zero-rating is detrimental to consumers, it compromises their freedom of choice.
The EU’s top court just closed a major loophole in Europe’s net-neutrality rules|David Meyer|September 15, 2020|Fortune

He said he wants to create a “workplace of choice,” with policies that allow anyone who desires to be successful within the company to find their path.
Lowe’s teams up with Daymond John to diversify its suppliers with a virtual pitch competition|McKenna Moore|September 15, 2020|Fortune
The choice between freedom and fear is not difficult when seen with perspective.
Why We Stand With Charlie Hebdo—And You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Serve with the warm sauce and your choice of ice cream, whipped cream, or yogurt.
Make ‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall’s Sticky Toffee Pudding|Carla Hall|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Removing choice is bullying and seems a horrid basis on which to anchor your relationship.
Public Marriage Proposals Must Die|Tauriq Moosa|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When Hitler became chancellor on Jan. 30, 1933, Hildebrand was confronted with a choice: Would he remain in Nazi Germany?
The Catholic Philosopher Who Took on Hitler|John Henry Crosby|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Disney has a choice whether to produce a program with certain fictional characters; the storyline could be re-written or changed.
Yep, Korra and Asami Went in the Spirit Portal and Probably Kissed|Melissa Leon|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With some difficulty Jos explained his mother's disclaimer of the title of Senora, and the choice of names she offered to Ramona.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
Then Mr. Blackbird selected a good many choice tidbits here and there, which he bolted with gusto.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
Pedantic, unimaginative and presumptuous, Theobald was the logical choice for a Dunce King in 1728.
A Letter from Mr. Cibber to Mr. Pope|Colley Cibber
He apologized for interrupting their tête-à-tête, but said he had no choice, as the saloon was completely full.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
The poor artist reconciled himself to go for a time to Brittany, and his choice fell on Concarneau.
Bastien Lepage|Fr. Crastre

British Dictionary definitions for choice

choice

/ (tʃɔɪs) /

noun

the act or an instance of choosing or selecting

the opportunity or power of choosing

a person or thing chosen or that may be chosenhe was a possible choice

an alternative action or possibilitywhat choice did I have?

a supply from which to selecta poor choice of shoes

of choice preferred; favourite

adjective

of superior quality; excellentchoice wine

carefully chosen, appropriatea few choice words will do the trick

vulgar or rudechoice language

Derived forms of choice

choicely, adverbchoiceness, noun

Word Origin for choice

C13: from Old French chois, from choisir to choose

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with choice

choice

see by choice; Hobson's choice; of choice; pays your money and takes your choice. Also see under choose.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.