Choice
/tʃɔɪs/noun
An act of selecting between alternatives, or the thing selected.
Did you know?Choice comes through Old French from a Latin verb meaning “to taste” or “to test,” because ancient selecting was treated like a trial of discernment, not just preference.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*geus-
“to taste, to choose, to try”
Latin
Latin
gustāre
“to taste”
Late Latin
Latin
gustus
“taste; pleasure in tasting”
Old French
Old French
chois
“choice, selection”
Middle English
English
chois
“choice, act of choosing”
Modern English
English
choice
“the act or power of choosing; something chosen”