by choice
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I just got an email and apparently I just got retired, not by choice but because I am no longer allowed to compete," Van Leuven said in a video posted on Instagram.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Kavanagh, 78, is a New Englander by birth and Californian by choice.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
"The share of those working part time for economic reasons, meaning not by choice, has increased considerably," she said.
From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026
People forget about past follies, either by choice and/or because they’re distracted by the next shiny thing.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 6, 2026
It was not by choice that she sought the waterfront.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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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.