choice
Americannoun
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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
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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
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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)
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Thumbs Up: Synonyms for "Good"
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Common Core Grades 9–10, 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.
See Examples For:
This year, the shows rules were changed, with the women making the first choice.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Many people are perfectly capable of managing their own investments;for some, doing so is the right choice.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
But his choice to enthusiastically fraternize with a self-described misogynist facing dozens of horrific felony counts has exposed him to scrutiny.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Fresh from a mid-lifecycle spa treatment, the midengine, two-seat Emira continues to offer a choice of powertrains, each with their enchantments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Something I had no choice but to answer.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Rather than changing people's political behavior, everyday environmental choices may mainly reflect values they already hold.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
They argue the move would reduce bargaining power for writers and crews, shrink project options, and ultimately limit choices for viewers.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Immediately, I thought of how many of my peers complained that her assignments were too difficult, and her film choices were too unconventional to analyze easily, even for college-level writers.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
When a pitcher purposely throws high and inside, the batter has four choices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
While he waits, he unpacks his bag and then packs it again, second-guessing his choices of what to bring and what to leave behind.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
She had even choicer words for her ex-boyfriend Walter Hopps, describing his “Clark Kent glasses that chopped his face into rectangular squares and made him seem as square and cool as celery.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2021
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
Cady Huffman, who won a Tony as the lusciously dim Ulla in “The Producers,” portrays various older women Evangeline encounters and is given some of the evening’s choicer material.
From New York Times ● Jul. 13, 2012
Mahogany, rosewood, satinwood and even choicer exotic timbers were used; they were often inlaid with marqueterie and mounted with chased and gilded bronze.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 2 "Bohemia" to "Borgia, Francis" by Various
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
Now, for the real candidates for the choicest place in our pitchman pantheon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2023
They’re known around the world for going after the choicest cuts from their prey.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 11, 2023
But the four-hour sale of 106 lots at Christie’s did contain some highly desirable older works, including 15 of the choicest Surrealist paintings from the Bay Area collectors Gary and Kathleen Heidenreich.
From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2023
Francie noticed how Miss Briggs, the teacher, beamed on them and seated them in the choicest places in the front row.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
