Option
/ˈɒp.ʃən/noun
A choice or one of several things that can be chosen.
Did you know?Option comes from Latin optāre, meaning “to choose” or “wish,” the same ancient root behind words of desire and preference that shaped how English talks about fate-like choice.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃ep-
“to choose, desire, seek”
Latin
Latin
optāre
“to choose, desire, wish for”
Latin
Latin
optionem
“a choosing, choice; freedom to choose”
Late Middle English
English
option
“choice, the act of choosing”
Modern English
English
option
“a choice or alternative available for selection”