choose
Americanverb (used with object)
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to select from a number of possibilities; pick by preference.
She chose Sunday for her departure.
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to prefer or decide (to do something).
He chose to run for election.
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to want; desire.
I choose moving to the city.
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(especially in children's games) to contend with (an opponent) to decide, as by odd or even, who will do something.
I'll choose you to see who gets to bat first.
verb (used without object)
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to make a choice, or select from two or more possibilities.
Accepted by several colleges, the boy chose carefully.
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to be inclined.
You may stay here, if you choose.
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(especially in children's games) to decide, as by means of odd or even, who will do something.
Let's choose to see who bats first.
verb phrase
idioms
verb
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to select (a person, thing, course of action, etc) from a number of alternatives
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(tr; takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to consider it desirable or proper
I don't choose to read that book
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(intr) to like; please
you may stand if you choose
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to be obliged to
we cannot choose but vote for him
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(of two people or objects) almost equal
Synonym Usage
Choose, select, pick, elect, prefer indicate a decision that one or more possibilities are to be regarded more highly than others. Choose suggests a decision on one of a number of possibilities because of its apparent superiority: to choose a course of action. Select suggests a choice made for fitness: to select the proper golf club. Pick, an informal word, suggests a selection on personal grounds: to pick a winner. The formal word elect suggests a kind of official action: to elect a representative. Prefer, also formal, emphasizes the desire or liking for one thing more than for another or others: to prefer coffee to tea.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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choosernoun
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rechooseverb
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prechooseverb (used with object)
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choosableadjective
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unchoosableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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choosesimple
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choosessimple
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have choseperfect
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have chosenperfect
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has choseperfect
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has chosenperfect
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am choosingprogressive
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are choosingprogressive
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is choosingprogressive
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have been choosingperfect progressive
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has been choosingperfect progressive
Past
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chosesimple
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had choseperfect
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had chosenperfect
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was choosingprogressive
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were choosingprogressive
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had been choosingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of choose
First recorded before 1000; Middle English chosen, chēsen, Old English cēosan; cognate with Gothic kiusan, Old High German kiosan ( German kiesen ); akin to Greek geúesthai “to enjoy,” Latin gustāre “to taste” ( see gusto)
Explanation
The hardest part of adopting a dog from a shelter is when you have to choose which one to bring home with you. When you pick out one pup from the mass of barking canines, that's the dog you choose. Any time you decide on one thing over another — whether it's a seat on a plane, a new pair of shoes, or who you want to marry — you choose it. The Old English word that choose comes from is ceosan, which means something closer to "taste."
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:
A government spokesperson said: "People's homes must be designed to minimise unwanted heat and developers can choose to install air con in buildings. We're reviewing these rules to ensure they're as effective as possible."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
A Girlguiding survey in June of 2,000 girls aged six to 16 in the UK found that 93% said they felt most comfortable when able to choose how they styled themselves.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
But when Mr. Jones turns to what legislators and judges should actually do with this understanding, he stops short, taking pains to distinguish between the biology we inherit and the values we choose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Since folks want a guarantee, they are going to choose the less risky choice of $65,000,” Brindle said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
The problem with spending two hours doing math with Avery is that I leave myself no time to choose a poem for writing class.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
"And Graham Norton, if he chooses to continue, has got plenty more in the tank."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Whether he chooses to fulfill his destiny alongside his twin remains to be seen.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
His assessment: “We certainly have the capability to control the Strait of Hormuz if the President chooses to follow that course of action.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
It also chooses to keep secret all information about which of these decisions are coming down and when.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
If a white guy chooses to immerse himself in hip-hop culture and only hang out with black people, black people will say, “Cool, white guy. Do what you need to do.”
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
Putting her career and reputation on the line, and risking more surveillance, Smith chose to place the safety and well-being of others first, and often paid the price.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
So call it a quiet, workmanlike beginning for the 13th player taken in the NFL draft, a quarterback the Rams ostensibly chose to become Matthew Stafford’s heir apparent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The majority of poll respondents chose the guaranteed money over the superior expected-value risk, suggesting that they aren’t evaluating the decision solely through the lens of expected value.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
In fact, the process far predates the modern primary and was long a staple of how parties chose candidates.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
Instead, she asks, “Do you remember why you chose the name Fern?”
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
But Xenophon, up to that moment a common soldier, was chosen as corps commander.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
In many cases, those women were widows appointed by governors or chosen by voters to take over their deceased husbands’ seats.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
Rose lives in Tecopa, population 120, among people who’ve chosen the isolation, quietude, natural beauty and brutal conditions on purpose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
This pushes up costs of making chocolate, and companies have chosen different ways to react to this, with some reducing chocolate content or sizes rather than raising prices.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Thirty teams were chosen for the competition, but only ten will reach the final stage. We expect those to be the only people who will actually get significant face-to-face time with Stavros.”
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Forecasters are urging beachgoers to check the surf forecast before choosing a beach, and to swim near a lifeguard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
But some brands are now choosing to spread their creator budgets across a vast array of creators rather than concentrating them on a select few accounts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
"As the eyes of the world fall on Glasgow with the Commonwealth Games and the city welcomes people from all over the globe, is disappointing that people are choosing to spread division."
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Early signs point to Darline Graham choosing a similar path.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
To me, family meant taking the folks we’re stuck with and choosing to love them anyway.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
