choose

verb

\ ˈchüz

chose\ ˈchōz

\; chosen\ ˈchō-zᵊn

\; choosing\ ˈchü-ziŋ

Definition of choose

transitive verb

1a : to select freely and after consideration choose a career

b : to decide on especially by vote : elect chose her as captain

2a : to have a preference for choose one car over another

b : decide chose to go by train

intransitive verb

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

Other Words from choose Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about choose

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Choose the Right Synonym for choose

choose, elect, and select mean to decide upon one possibility from among several. choose is used for making a decision after careful thought. She chose to follow the right course. elect may be used for the deliberate picking of one thing over another. Voters elect one candidate for president. select is used when there are many things from which to choose. Customers may select from a variety of goods.

Examples 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, (l953) 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

Buyers purchase the lots directly from the developer, and then bring in a builder of their choosing on their on time frame. — Katherine Feser, Houston Chronicle, "Final batch of golf-side home lots hit market in League City neighborhood," 13 June 2019 No court date has been set, not even a prosecutor chosen. — Fox News, "5-year-old girl paralyzed by rape shocks Sierra Leone," 8 June 2019 Organizers choose a topic: dealing with patients’ families, for example, or a deep dive into a particularly wrenching recent case. — Corinne Purtill, Quartz at Work, "A simple strategy helps doctors fight burnout. Could it work for the rest of us?," 5 June 2019 There were many highly qualified candidates for the board of education to choose from. — Maureen Robertson, Ramona Sentinel, "Trustees select ‘hometown girl’ for top post," 5 June 2019 Many choose to live instead in nearby Dayton or Columbus for the big-city amenities, Richison said. — USA Today, "'Can't pay their bills with love': For many teaching jobs, teachers' pay can't cover rent," 5 June 2019 Here's some more info on how to choose the right weight for your body and current fitness level. — Amy Marturana, SELF, "7 Dumbbell Exercises That Work Your Core," 30 May 2019 Fueled by the wave of conservative bills challenging Roe v. Wade, which protects a woman's right to choose, protestors made their voices heard with rallies in the nation's capital and beyond. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "People Across the U.S. Protest Restrictive Abortion Laws with #StopTheBans Rallies," 22 May 2019 When Jeff Luhnow started as the Houston Astros’ general manager in December 2011, the hardest part of building a sophisticated front office involved convincing top candidates to choose professional sports over other, better-paying industries. — Jared Diamond, WSJ, "The Houston Astros’ Brain Drain," 7 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'choose.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.