choice

1 of 2

noun

1
: the act of choosing : selection
finding it hard to make a choice
2
: power of choosing : option
you have no choice
3
a
: the best part : cream
Of the cavalry the king's own was the choice.
b
: a person or thing chosen
she was their first choice
4
: a number and variety to choose among
a plan with a wide choice of options
5
: care in selecting
6
: a grade of meat between prime and good

choice

2 of 2

adjective

choicer; choicest
1
: worthy of being chosen
accepting the choicest candidates
2
: selected with care
prepared his report with choice words
3
a
: of high quality
served choice wine with the dinner
b
: of a grade between prime and good
choice meat
choicely adverb
choiceness noun
Phrases
of choice
: to be preferred
Choose the Right Synonym for choice

Noun

choice, option, alternative, preference, selection, election mean the act or opportunity of choosing or the thing chosen.

choice suggests the opportunity or privilege of choosing freely.

freedom of choice

option implies a power to choose that is specifically granted or guaranteed.

the option of paying now or later

alternative implies a need to choose one and reject another possibility.

equally attractive alternatives

preference suggests a choice guided by one's judgment or predilections.

a preference for cool weather

selection implies a range of choice.

a varied selection of furniture

election implies an end or purpose which requires exercise of judgment.

doing a tax return forces certain elections on you

Adjective

choice, exquisite, elegant, rare, delicate, dainty mean having qualities that appeal to a cultivated taste.

choice stresses preeminence in quality or kind.

choice fabric

exquisite implies a perfection in workmanship or design that appeals only to very sensitive taste.

an exquisite gold bracelet

elegant applies to what is rich and luxurious but restrained by good taste.

a sumptuous but elegant dining room

rare suggests an uncommon excellence.

rare beauty

delicate implies exquisiteness, subtlety, and fragility.

delicate craftsmanship

dainty sometimes carries an additional suggestion of smallness and of appeal to the eye or palate.

dainty sandwiches

Examples of choice in a Sentence

Noun He has some important choices to make. You made a good choice. She was faced with a difficult choice. You can either accept the job or not. It's your choice. I read about the various options so that I could make an informed choice. Given the choice, I'd rather stay home tonight. A flexible health insurance plan gives patients more choice about doctors and coverage. There is a wide range of choices. Other choices on the menu looked equally tempting. Adjective Choice beef is not as expensive as prime beef. choice chocolates for which chocolate lovers are willing to pay extra
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
After indulging in your outdoor activity of choice, end your trip with green chiles at King's Chef Diner and bask in the success of a road trip well spent. Adam Lapetina, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2024 And fries are often the snack of choice at this Shelby Park diner-style bar and restaurant with a backyard-like patio. Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 18 Mar. 2024 Men and women also make different choices in terms of occupations and education. Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2024 Donors will be entered into a drawing for 70 pairs of tickets for the Sharks vs. Calgary Flames game on Tuesday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. and will receive a $20 eGift Card of their choice. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 His bold choices and non-stop energy created a Christopher that was vulnerable, honest and driven. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 If the choice is – MARGARET BRENNAN: Those are political choices. CBS News, 17 Mar. 2024 The song choice is fitting, considering the band recently spoke to Rolling Stone about their faith. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024 And then in terms of how much to reveal in Savannah’s backstory regarding her mom, there were just some really brutal choices that had to be made in terms of serving the forward momentum of the show. Caroline Brew, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Flea did an impressive handstand in a T-shirt and underwear to kick things off and later appeared to defy gravity; meanwhile, Anthony Kiedis’ scat-to-sung vocals were as choice as always. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2023 In the pro-choice moment from which Roe emerged, few thought that what happened in Dobbs could ever occur. Claudia Dreifus, CNN, 21 Jan. 2023 Word spread quickly in the country’s relatively small pro-life community—around 90 percent of Britons identify as pro-choice—and Colquhoun set up more groups around the U.K. Jessica Bateman, The New Republic, 9 Jan. 2023 But that was intolerable to the coalition of pro-choice and pro-life advocates who fought for the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). Erika Bachiochi, CNN, 14 Dec. 2022 Long before the June decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, medical providers and pro-choice advocates braced for a future with diminishing access to legal abortions. Molly Glick, Discover Magazine, 13 July 2022 Nearly fifty years later, not a day has passed since the Court’s ruling where anti-choice, far-right extremists haven’t tried to take us backwards. Essence, 8 Apr. 2022 This time, the strategy failed, and Hanks lost the primary to pro-choice Republican Joe O'Dea. Grayson Quay, The Week, 21 July 2022 But the governor’s success as a pro-choice Republican looks to be a vestige of a time nearly gone. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'choice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English chois, from Anglo-French, from choisir to choose, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German kiosan to choose — more at choose

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of choice was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near choice

Cite this Entry

“Choice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choice. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

choice

1 of 2 noun
1
: the act of choosing : selection
finding it hard to make a choice
2
: the power of choosing : option
you have no choice
3
a
: a person or thing chosen
our choice for mayor
b
: the best part
4
: a number and variety to choose among
a wide choice of options

choice

2 of 2 adjective
1
: very fine
choice fruits
2
: of a grade between prime and good
choice meat
choicely adverb
choiceness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on choice

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