1
2
a
: to have a preference for
choose one car over another
b
: decide
chose to go by train
1
: to make a selection
finding it hard to choose
2
: to take an alternative
—used after cannot and usually followed by but
When earth is so kind, men cannot choose but be happy.—
J. A. Froude
J. A. FroudeExamples of choose in a Sentence
Each year thousands of college students choose volunteer-service trips over beach bumming during their spring breaks and summer vacations.
—Edward M. Kennedy, Time, 22 Sept. 2008
I had been invited to choose certain things that I might want from the house, but although there were indeed a couple of things that I would have liked, I was withheld from making the trip …
—Alice Adams, "Why I Write,"
in The Story and Its Writer, edited by Ann Charters, 1987
… as an instructor at New York University he chose to live by himself in lodgings that for the time must have been very expensive …
—William Styron, This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, (1953) 1982
Any summary I might try to write for the rest of the novel would be worthless and I don't choose to waste my time at it.
—Flannery O'Connor, The Habit of Being, 1979
The political party chose a leader.
They chose her as the team captain.
We've chosen a different time to go.
He was chosen because he's qualified for the job.
She was chosen from a long list of people.
He chose his words carefully.
Which shirt would you choose?
How do I choose when there's so much available?
Let everyone choose for themselves.
You can choose from among a number of alternatives.
Edward M. Kennedy, Time, 22 Sept. 2008
I had been invited to choose certain things that I might want from the house, but although there were indeed a couple of things that I would have liked, I was withheld from making the trip …
—Alice Adams, "Why I Write,"
in The Story and Its Writer, edited by Ann Charters, 1987
… as an instructor at New York University he chose to live by himself in lodgings that for the time must have been very expensive …
—William Styron, This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, (1953) 1982
Any summary I might try to write for the rest of the novel would be worthless and I don't choose to waste my time at it.
—Flannery O'Connor, The Habit of Being, 1979
The political party chose a leader.
They chose her as the team captain.
We've chosen a different time to go.
He was chosen because he's qualified for the job.
She was chosen from a long list of people.
He chose his words carefully.
Which shirt would you choose?
How do I choose when there's so much available?
Let everyone choose for themselves.
You can choose from among a number of alternatives.
Recent Examples on the Web
If a purchase tempts you, say your budget aloud, then choose the upgrade that truly supports daily life.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
Terrell Fox was arrested in Markham by task force members, the same officers from various Southland communities that Markham chose to honor.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
But the real reason news organizations choose to spend thousands of dollars per journalist, per trip, to be on the papal plane is to be on hand for the pope’s news conferences.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Nellie emphasized accessibility in her design decisions, too, choosing low-pile rugs and carefully considering furniture placement.
—Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for choose
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Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
Terrell Fox was arrested in Markham by task force members, the same officers from various Southland communities that Markham chose to honor.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
But the real reason news organizations choose to spend thousands of dollars per journalist, per trip, to be on the papal plane is to be on hand for the pope’s news conferences.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Nellie emphasized accessibility in her design decisions, too, choosing low-pile rugs and carefully considering furniture placement.
—Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for choose
Cite this Entry
“Choose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choose. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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