choice
Americannoun
-
choices
plural
-
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
idioms
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 chosen
he was a possible choice
-
an alternative action or possibility
what choice did I have?
-
a supply from which to select
a poor choice of shoes
-
preferred; favourite
adjective
-
of superior quality; excellent
choice wine
-
carefully chosen, appropriate
a few choice words will do the trick
-
vulgar or rude
choice language
Usage
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.
- Used in a sentence: I’m pretty sure going into the woods at night was the wrong choice.
- Used in a sentence: We narrowed down the menu to a few choice dishes.
Synonym Usage
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. See fine 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of choice
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English chois, from Old French, derived from choisir “to perceive, choose,” from Germanic; see choose
Explanation
When you come to a fork in the road, you have to make a choice. If you can't decide, maybe you should flip a coin. If you have to choose between two schools, the one you end up going to is your choice. If there's only one option, we say we "have no choice," while "the choice is yours" means it's up to you. Choice can also be an adjective for something of high quality, something worth choosing. The choice apples had all been picked by the time you arrived, so you had to settle for the bruised ones.
Vocabulary lists containing choice
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Thumbs Up: Synonyms for "Good"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Common Core Grades 9–10, List 5
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Such a choice reminds us that “Abandoning a Cat” is as much about the writer’s propensity for privacy as it is about his father’s experience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
But there are plenty of risks that mean it would be far from an easy choice.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
“Whether she convinces voters that she’s actually the right choice, I think it’s a steeper climb,” said Flores, who worked with the independent candidate in the primary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
The planned terms, which Meta has since put on hold, could allow the company to collect content from the websites of publishers without offering them a choice about if or how their content is used.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Normally, Pink Floyd’s “Dogs” would be a weird party band choice, but Dog Street divided the rez’s north side from its south.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Short-priced horses dominated the weekend, with seven favorites, five second choices and two third choices winning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
On the campaign trail, both contenders have been making similar clothing choices, wearing relaxed blazers and cowboy boots.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
“She’s more of a dirt person than a people person,” says Poehler, who likes how the character grapples with choices that led her to midlife.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Successful automation also gives Amazon choices about where the savings go.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
He draws a picture, and I try to do what Brie suggested—asking him about his color choices and what he’s making instead of giving him compliments.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Among some of the choicer nuggets of that conversation:
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2015
And so the weak part of the post-spinoff trio will clearly be eBay itself, the lean marketplace rump that will be left once the choicer meat is sliced away.
From Time ● Feb. 4, 2015
It's amazing that such fragile items survive - amazing the prices the choicer items can now attract.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2014
It’s easy to imagine, say, George Sanders or Rex Harrison uttering some of Pozdynyshev’s choicer assessments: “The man was an embarrassment of effort.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 12, 2012
Indeed many of the choicer and rarer varieties are safer grown in pots of rich sandy soil in cold frames.
From Beautiful Bulbous Plants For the Open Air by John Weathers
Among the choicest: The champion skier from Norway starts his day with a breakfast that his father finds revolting, and he’s “too afraid” of downhill cycling to consider switching sports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
Hard as it is to conceive of now, one family, the Rindges, once owned about 25 miles of the choicest coastal property in Southern California: Malibu.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2025
But Natalie Morales, Scott MacArthur and Zahn McClarnon as Maddie’s townie pals, who provide sardonic working class solidarity for our heroine, have some of the picture’s choicest bits.
From New York Times ● Jun. 21, 2023
They’re known around the world for going after the choicest cuts from their prey.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 11, 2023
And behind it at the head is stowed a bag full of choicest edibles.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
