opt

1 of 2

verb

ˈäpt 

opted; opting; opts

intransitive verb

: to make a choice

especially : to decide in favor of something

… opted for a tax increase …

—Tom Wicker

After perusing the menu he opted for the prime rib.

opt

2 of 2

abbreviation

1

optical; optician; optics

2

option; optional

Synonyms of opt

Verb

• choose
• decide
• figure

Examples of opt in a Sentence

Verb

after that near catastrophe, they opted to reinstate the telephone service

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Former Pink Floyd singer-songwriter Roger Waters voiced his frustration on Instagram, opting to talk directly to the camera. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026

Read more on which providers have been approved to participate so far, and which opted not to enroll. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026

Under Armour also made a large bid at the time, but the university opted for Adidas. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

Although some have changed their practices, Soles4Souls recently witnessed a company opting for destruction over donation. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

French opter, from Latin optare

First Known Use

Verb

1853, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing opt

• co-opt
• opt in
• opt out

Rhymes for opt

• chopped
• cropped
• dropped
• dropt
• flopped
• hopped
• lopped
• mopped
• plopped
• popped
• propped
• shopped

Kids Definition

opt

verb

ˈäpt

: to make a choice

Medical Definition

opt

abbreviation

optician