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?

We are not opining—that is, expressing our opinion—when we say that opine is not a back-formation of opinion, though the two words do share a common ancestry. A back-formation is a word formed by the subtraction of part of an existing word; for instance, the verb bartend is a back-formation of the noun bartender. Opine and opinion, however, both entered English independently, taking different routes from their mutual roots in the Latin verb opīnārī, meaning “to have in mind” or “to think.” Opinion arrived in the 14th century, while opine followed about a century later.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That could weigh against the fair use argument, as a judge opined in a recent ruling that evidence of market dilution could tip an AI copyright case in favor of plaintiffs. ArsTechnica, 2 July 2025 The movie starring Myers was widely panned by critics and audiences, with many opining that the cat character came off as creepy. Mark Gray, People.com, 1 July 2025 Just last week, Denver president and governor Josh Kroenke was highlighting the dangers that come with this salary-cap system and opined — unsolicited, mind you — about a nightmare scenario in which the Nuggets might one day be forced to trade three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. Sam Amick, New York Times, 30 June 2025 Yeary opined the law is going after the wrong people — the low-level drug runners who are addicts themselves, instead of suppliers or people higher up in the chain. Sarah Nelson, IndyStar, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for opine

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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Cite this Entry

“Opine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opine. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

opine

verb
opined; opining
: to have or express an opinion
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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