choice
choice
Pronunciation
choice: /tʃɔɪs/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in the single syllable:
/tʃ/: The "ch" sound as in "church"
/ɔɪ/: The diphthong sound as in "boy" or "coin"
/s/: The "s" sound as in "sun"
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: choice
Plural Noun: choices
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
1. The act of choosing; the selection or decision made when faced with two or more possibilities.
Example: "After much deliberation, her choice was to pursue a career in medicine."
Synonyms: selection, decision, option, preference, pick
Antonyms: indecision, compulsion, obligation, mandate
2. The range of options or alternatives available from which to choose.
Example: "The restaurant offered a wide choice of desserts."
Synonyms: array, variety, selection, range, assortment
Antonyms: limitation, restriction, scarcity, uniformity
3. A person or thing that is chosen as the best or most preferable among a group.
Example: "This vintage wine is an excellent choice for a special occasion."
Synonyms: pick, cream, elite, prime, prize
Antonyms: reject, inferior, least desirable, worst
4. The power or right to choose.
Example: "Students have the choice to attend either the morning or afternoon session."
Synonyms: discretion, option, liberty, freedom, prerogative
Antonyms: necessity, constraint, obligation, duress
Examples of Use
Books:
"But the fact is, in a time of crisis, you don't have the luxury of choice." (Hillary Rodham Clinton, Hard Choices, June 2014)
"Every day we make choices that affect our health, our happiness, and our future." (Deepak Chopra, Perfect Health: The Complete Mind Body Guide, 1991)
Newspapers:
"Voters face a clear choice between the two leading candidates in next month's election." (The New York Times)
"The government has announced new initiatives aimed at giving parents more choice in their children's education." (The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"When buying a new smartphone, the sheer choice can be overwhelming, from operating systems to camera quality." (TechRadar)
"For aspiring entrepreneurs, the choice of a business model can be the most critical decision." (Forbes)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "The film explores the difficult choices made by soldiers during wartime." (Review of 1917, Universal Pictures, December 2019)
Television Series: "In this episode, the protagonist is faced with an impossible choice that will determine the fate of the city." (Synopsis for House of the Dragon, HBO, August 2022)
Music: "I had no choice but to choose you." (Lyrics from "No Choice" by Tame Impala, February 2022)
Video Game: "Players' choices throughout the game directly impact the story's branching narrative and multiple endings." (Description for Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt, December 2020)
General Public Discourse:
"It's a matter of personal choice whether you prefer to work from home or in the office." (Heard in a casual conversation)
"We need to empower individuals to make healthy choices about their diet and exercise." (Statement by a public health official)
"The company offers employees a flexible choice of benefits, allowing them to tailor their package to their needs." (Heard in a corporate meeting)
10 Quotes Using Choice
"In life, we are given a choice: We can be a victim or we can be a victor." (Oprah Winfrey)
"The unexamined life is not worth living. But if you live long enough to examine it, you will find that you have made many choices you regret." (Oscar Wilde)
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." (J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
"Every choice you make has an end result." (Zig Ziglar)
"We are the choice we make." (Jean-Paul Sartre)
"Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions. It's a choice." (Dalai Lama XIV)
"You always have a choice." (Nelson Mandela)
"Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. It is up to you to give life a meaning." (Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism - though often paraphrased to emphasize "choice")
"The choice of a point of view is the initial act of culture." (José Ortega y Gasset)
"The greatest choice we have is to choose our attitude." (Viktor Frankl)
Etymology
The word "choice" has a really interesting journey through languages!
It essentially comes from a very old idea of "picking" or "selecting." Its roots can be traced back to a Germanic word chois, which came into English from Old French around the late 13th century (specifically, the Oxford English Dictionary notes its first known use in 1297). This Old French word, chois, itself came from the verb choisir, meaning "to choose" or "to perceive."
Before "choice" arrived from French, English had its own native word for "choice" or "free will," which was cyre. But "choice" took over, likely because it sounded more similar to the verb "choose," which is much older and has its origins in Old English (cēosan). Both the French choisir and the Old English cēosan ultimately come from an even older, shared ancestor in a language called Proto-Germanic, and even further back, to a Proto-Indo-European root that had to do with "tasting" or "testing" to make a selection.
So, when "choice" first appeared in English, it meant pretty much what it does today: the act of selecting something, or the power to make a selection from different options.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Choice
By choice: Voluntarily; because one prefers to.
For choice: If one had the option; preferably.
No choice but to: Having no other option or alternative.
The choice is yours: You are the one who decides.
To each his own choice: Everyone has their own preferences.
To have a free choice: To be able to choose without restrictions.
A Hobson's choice: A seemingly free choice where there is only one real option, or no choice at all.
First choice: The most preferred option.
Last choice: The least preferred option.
To make a choice: To decide between alternatives.
To take one's choice: To make a selection.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of choice from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
