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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
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
In some cases, your job ends after reviewing and opining on early legal filings.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
Weeks before Hegseth issued his ultimatum, Amodei opined on his website about the risks involved with precisely the two guardrails the Pentagon is targeting.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
The discussion devolved as attendees opined about the criminal justice system generally, advertised their nonprofits during the question-and-answer session and talked about unrelated issues.
—Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opine
Cite this Entry
“Opine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opine. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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