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.

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 Viewers might be comfortable opining on vocal performances like an armchair Simon Cowell, but even the biggest breakout stars of TV singing contests, such as Susan Boyle, have their voices crack sometimes. Marc Hogan, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2024 Larson's The Marvels costar Iman Vellani opined in November that the film's box office performance is not for the movie's actors to worry about. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 In the case of Young Thug, incarceration in itself is already degrading, and many have opined that the case against him is unfair in its reliance on rap lyrics and tropes. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2024 As a wise philosopher named Huey Lewis once opined, that’s the power of love! Dalton Ross, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2024 Some fans opined that the musical's better songs are in its first half. Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 12 Feb. 2024 And as one person opined to me last week: Cigna may wait until after the election to do anything, because if Trump wins, the current antitrust regime that has prioritized cracking down on consolidation would disappear. Bob Herman Reprints, STAT, 5 Feb. 2024 The art historian Kenneth Clark once opined that no aesthetic sensation lasts longer than the smell of an orange. Washington Post, 25 Jan. 2024 The final report will be made public, at which point people will be able to opine. Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opine.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of opine was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near opine

Cite this Entry

“Opine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opine. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

opine

verb
opined; opining
: to have or express an opinion

More from Merriam-Webster on opine

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