optional
Americanadjective
-
left to one's choice; not required or mandatory.
Formal dress is optional.
- Synonyms:
- voluntary, elective, discretional
-
leaving something to choice.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of optional
Explanation
If you can choose whether or not to do something, it is optional. Extra credit is always optional; death and taxes are not. When you buy a new car, you can decide which options or choices, you would like. Things like a DVD player mounted in the ceiling are optional, you don't need them for the car to work, and it's up to you if you want to pay more for them. The opposite of optional is mandatory. If you're in high school, going to bed at 8:00 is optional, for your little sister in elementary school, it's mandatory.
Vocabulary lists containing optional
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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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.
It’s still unclear how much Tesla will ultimately ask for the Roadster or how much optional features could cost buyers — some of whom decided not to stick around and find out.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
In 2018, he said an optional SpaceX package for the car would include 10 small rocket thrusters that will improve acceleration, braking and cornering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
And it said the controls were optional, which social media analyst Matt Navarra called an "obvious weakness".
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Sole-Smith notes that the demands of caregiving can make basic needs feel almost optional.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
The little chins, the lips, the eyes, they’re tentative organs on these kids, almost as if they’re optional equipment.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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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.
