Choice Definition & Meaning

  • American
  • British
  • More Idioms
  • Usage
  • Related Words
  • Other Word Forms
  • Etymology
  • Examples
  • Related Words
  • Synonyms choice American [chois] / tʃɔɪs /

    noun

    1. 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.

    2. the right, power, or opportunity to choose; option.

      The child had no choice about going to school.

    3. the person or thing chosen or eligible to be chosen.

      This book is my choice.

      He is one of many choices for the award.

    4. an alternative.

      There is another choice.

    5. an abundance or variety from which to choose.

      a wide choice of candidates.

    6. something that is preferred or preferable to others; the best part of something.

      Mare's Nest is the choice in the sixth race.

    7. a carefully selected supply.

      This restaurant has a fine choice of wines.

    8. a choice grade of beef.

    adjective

    choicer, choicest
    1. worthy of being chosen; excellent; superior.

      Synonyms: precious, valuable, uncommon, rare, select
    2. carefully selected.

      choice words.

    3. (in the grading of beef in the U.S.) rated between prime and good.

    idioms

    1. of choice, that is generally preferred.

      A detached house is still the home of choice.

    choice British / tʃɔɪs /

    noun

    1. the act or an instance of choosing or selecting

    2. the opportunity or power of choosing

    3. a person or thing chosen or that may be chosen

      he was a possible choice

    4. an alternative action or possibility

      what choice did I have?

    5. a supply from which to select

      a poor choice of shoes

    6. preferred; favourite

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

    adjective

    1. of superior quality; excellent

      choice wine

    2. carefully chosen, appropriate

      a few choice words will do the trick

    3. vulgar or rude

      choice language

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 choice More Idioms
    1. see by choice; Hobson's choice; of choice; pays your money and takes your choice. Also see under choose.

    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.
    Choice also refers to a person or thing that is one of the possibilities a person can choose from.
    • Used in a sentence: I’m pretty sure going into the woods at night was the wrong choice.
    Choice also describes something as being carefully chosen.
    • Used in a sentence: We narrowed down the menu to a few choice dishes.

    Related Words

    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

    • choiceless adjective
    • choicely adverb
    • choiceness noun
    • prechoice noun

    Etymology

    Origin of choice

    First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English chois, from Old French, derived from choisir “to perceive, choose,” from Germanic; choose

    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.

    Genes can shape diet and lifestyle choices, which then influence the gut microbiome.

    From Science Daily

    The choice of household groceries varies each week, depending upon what is available.

    From BBC

    While Waymo’s driver system already handles dark traffic signals as four-way stops, it will occasionally request confirmation checks to ensure it is the “safest choice.”

    From The Wall Street Journal

    He wasn’t a traditional choice to lead a diplomatic mission to Belarus.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    It’s not always a choice of insurance or no insurance.

    From MarketWatch

    Related Words

    • alternative
    • decision
    • distinction
    • election
    • favorite
    • finding
    • judgment
    • opportunity
    • option
    • pick
    • preference
    • variety
    • vote

    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.

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