opine
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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opinesimple
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opinessimple
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have opinedperfect
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has opinedperfect
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am opiningprogressive
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are opiningprogressive
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is opiningprogressive
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have been opiningperfect progressive
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has been opiningperfect progressive
Past
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opinedsimple
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had opinedperfect
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was opiningprogressive
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were opiningprogressive
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had been opiningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of opine
First recorded in 1575–85; is from Latin opīnārī “to think, deem”
Explanation
The verb opine is used when someone speaks up and expresses an opinion. You might opine that dogs are highly preferable to cats. Whenever you have something to say about a subject, you have the option to opine about it or keep your mouth shut. Movie critics opine about the best films of the year, and kindergarten kids opine that they'd rather not take a nap. Opine can also describe what you suppose will happen, like when you opine that school lunches will improve because of the new cook. The Latin opinari, or have an opinion, is the root of opine.
Vocabulary lists containing opine
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Eats, Shoots & Leaves
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for September 26–October 2, 2020
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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:
He said her Houston treatment center is a premier facility, and “for California to opine that it’s not good enough for us” is a strange concept.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
He said, however, that as a military industrial base analyst, it wasn’t his place to opine on whether this sort of intense military investment should be the budget priority of the American government.
From Salon ● May 8, 2026
The OLC has the power to opine on whatever the OLC wants to opine on, but it’s just that; it’s an opinion.
From Slate ● Apr. 9, 2026
At the L-shaped stone counter, furnished with fresh flowers and laboratory-like brewing equipment, the inviting baristas opine on the international bean choices from Habakuk’s Hanoi roasting partner, Flusso.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
But I humbly opine, Captain, that our venture to-night stands in no need of vanguard, patrol or picquet.
From Rob of the Bowl, Vol. I (of 2) A Legend of St. Inigoe's by Kennedy, John P.
Interest rate increases are one of Wall Street’s concerns, and those seem to be on the table, potentially as soon as this fall, opines Capital Economics’ Chief North America Economist Stephen Brown.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
“The Spartans might be . . . viewed as parasites, feeding off the forced labor of their helots,” he opines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
While acknowledging that wars have their own dynamics and emphasizing that his view is low conviction as a consequence, Papic opines that Iran’s pain threshold is lower than markets and commentators imagine.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 16, 2026
“In America, art is always paid for by somebody and griped about by somebody else,” Klaus opines late in the novel to Di.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2025
In the first place, he opines that Luther's Articles are "very improperly called 'Smalcald Articles.'"
From Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church by Bente, F. (Friedrich)
He’s shown up at games, kept league commissioners close, and opined on trades and rule changes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
“Ford…has in his social endeavor committed economic blunders, if not crimes,” The Wall Street Journal opined on Jan. 7, 1914.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
“His many detractors should grant that his comments late Saturday at a White House press briefing hit the right notes of gratitude and comity,” the Wall Street Journal editorial board opined.
From Slate ● Apr. 26, 2026
He also opined that the Strategy cost price is not as important as people think.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
Capt. Draper, he opined it was sure the sweetest Music he had heard.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Analysts are opining about the impact on global trade, which influences corporate earnings, but it’s too early to draw significant conclusions.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
“Any insinuation from any party opining that filing decisions are made—or, in this case, not made—in an effort to influence crime data is unaware, uneducated, or uninformed about how our office operates,” Chapman said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 16, 2025
But among all of Bong’s opining is a fantastic line that bores directly to the heart of his message.
From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2025
Mr Altman then hit back in an interview with Bloomberg, opining that Mr Musk is not "a happy person" and saying his decisions are made from a "position of insecurity".
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2025
THEAETETUS: You mean, Socrates, if I am not mistaken, what is called thinking or opining.
From Theaetetus by Jowett, Benjamin
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.
