option

option — noun

1. a possible choice, plan, or action; also, the chance to decide among different w

1.nounB1
Definition

a possible choice, plan, or action; also, the chance to decide among different ways forward

Example

Camping is one option for the school trip in July.

one option for + event

You have the option of paying online or at the station.

option of + -ing

Common collocations
  • best option
  • safe option
  • vegetarian option
  • option of paying
  • option to leave
Synonyms
  • choice

    broader and can mean the act of deciding as well as the thing chosen

  • alternative

    often stresses another plan when the first one may not work

  • possibility

    more general and does not always involve an active decision

Antonyms
  • necessity

    focuses on something required rather than something open to choose

Grammar Patterns

one option is to + verb

have the option of + -ing

give someone the option to + verb

Usage Note

Often followed by of + -ing or to + verb. Distinguish from noun/3, which usually appears in negative patterns such as have no option but to.

Common Mistakes

We had no option than wait outside.
We had no option but to wait outside.
the usual pattern is 'no option but to + verb'.
There are three options to choose.
There are three options to choose from.
use 'choose from' when you mean selecting from a set.

2. a contract-based right allowing a later purchase or sale for a price fixed now

2.noun
Definition

a contract-based right allowing a later purchase or sale for a price fixed now

Example

The company bought an option to buy the land next year.

option to buy + asset

On Friday afternoon, traders sold call options on bank shares.

finance: call options

Common collocations
  • call option
  • put option
  • stock option
  • option to buy
  • option on shares
Synonyms
  • right

    broader legal word; option is one specific kind of right

  • contract

    the wider agreement; an option may be one part of it

  • warrant

    a technical finance term for a similar right in some markets

Antonyms
  • obligation

    requires action instead of keeping the action optional

Grammar Patterns

an option to buy

an option to sell

an option on + asset

Usage Note

Common in finance, property, and contract language. It often appears with to buy, to sell, or on + asset, and it names a right, not the final purchase itself.

Common Mistakes

The option means they already bought the land.
The option means they can buy the land later.
an option gives a future right; it is not the purchase itself.

3. the only course left to you, used when every other choice has gone

3.nounC1
Definition

the only course left to you, used when every other choice has gone

Example

With the bridge closed, we had no option but to wait.

fixed pattern: no option but to + verb

The fire left us no option but to sleep outside.

leave someone no option

Common collocations
  • no option but to
  • leave someone no option
  • have little option but to
Synonyms
  • no choice

    the most common everyday equivalent

  • necessity

    more formal and focuses on what must be done

  • last resort

    suggests the final remaining plan after others fail

Antonyms
  • freedom

    emphasizes being able to choose among different actions

Grammar Patterns

have no option but to + verb

leave someone with no option

no option except to + verb

Usage Note

Almost always appears in negative frames such as have no option but to or leave someone with no option. Distinguish from noun/1, where real choices are still available.

Common Mistakes

We had no option than leave.
We had no option but to leave.
the standard pattern is 'no option but to + verb'.
Idioms

keep/leave your options open

idiom

To delay making a final decision so you can still choose later.

Mia is keeping her options open by applying to several colleges.

Should we leave our options open for the weekend trip?

a/an/the soft/easy option

idiom

A choice that requires less effort or difficulty than other possibilities.

Diego chose the easy option and copied his friend's homework.

Is taking the soft option always a bad idea for your career?

option — adjective

option — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, option is a practical word for something available to choose. Choice is broader: it can mean the act of deciding, the right to decide, or the thing chosen. Alternative often stresses another plan when the first one may not work, so it sounds more like problem-solving. Possibility is looser and can mean anything that might happen, even if nobody is choosing it yet. In everyday English, option is especially common in menus, tickets, forms, and decisions about what to do next. You can say Camping is one option for the school trip, but The rain is a possibility, not an option. You can also say We had two choices, while We had two alternatives suggests comparing plans.

option ↗choice ↗alternative ↗possibility ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • have the option to
  • one option is to

Prepositions

  • option of
  • option to

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Option came into English through French from the Latin noun optio. That Latin word was connected with a verb meaning choose or wish, so the core idea of option has long been an open choice that someone may take.