opine

verb

ō-ˈpīn 

opined; opining

intransitive verb

: to express opinions

You may opine about anything you want.

transitive verb

: to state as an opinion

opined that the nominee was not fit to serve on the Supreme Court

Did you know?

Opine is not a back-formation of opinion. Both words come from Middle French opiner, meaning "to express one's opinion," and Latin opīnārī, "to have in mind" or "to think." And they were thought up as words for the English language independently at different times.

Synonyms

• allow
• comment
• editorialize
• note
• observe
• reflect
• remark
• weigh in

Examples of opine in a Sentence

Many people opine that the content of Web pages should be better regulated.

You can opine about any subject you like.

Recent Examples on the Web

Musk has opined about a desire to take humanity to Mars for years, but it's been unclear whether these dreams would actually come true in his lifetime. —Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 23 Sep. 2024

The Fashion Network recently opined about the decline in multibrand luxury e-commerce. —Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024

While Bhave opines that the Fed’s statement next Wednesday will likely express different language from previous remarks, the commentary probably will not give a great deal of insight into the Fed’s potential forward path. —Brian Evans, CNBC, 13 Sep. 2024

Political candidates can use campaign cash to pay for child care, AG Kris Mayes opined. —Jeremy Duda, Axios, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English opinen "to hold an opinion, think (that something is the case)," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French opiner "to express one's view, be of the opinion (that)," borrowed from Latin opīnārī "to hold as an opinion, think, have in mind," of obscure origin

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

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Kids Definition

opine

verb

ō-ˈpīn 

opined; opining

: to have or express an opinion