Definitions
01an option or decision
A2 · Elementary Uncountable noun
n. the act of picking between different things, or the possibility of picking.
n. the act of choosing or selecting; the opportunity or privilege of choosing between alternatives.
“You have a choice between the red shirt and the blue one.”
“Faced with several attractive career paths, she found that making a final choice was more difficult than she had anticipated.”
Usage
Often used with the prepositions 'between' or 'of'.
02the thing chosen
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. the person or thing that you have picked from a group.
n. the person or thing chosen; the object of a selection process.
“The steak was a great choice; it tasted delicious.”
“The committee's choice for the new director surprised many, as he was the least experienced candidate on the shortlist.”
Synonyms
03range of options
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a number of different things that you can pick from.
n. a range or variety from which to select.
“The shop has a wide choice of greeting cards for every occasion.”
“The university offers a vast choice of elective modules, allowing students to tailor their degree to their specific interests.”
04high quality
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. of very high quality or carefully picked as the best.
adj. of very high quality; selected with care and discrimination.
“The chef used only the most choice cuts of meat for the banquet.”
“The speaker used a few choice words to describe the government's failure to address the housing crisis.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrase 'choice words' to mean sarcastic or well-chosen insults.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “choice” in context.
Real-World Examples
“But behavioral scientists say the increasing flood of choices — whether it comes to shopping, social lives or relationships — is doing the opposite.” “The idea that more choice is better is baked into Western culture, but ... that having more options can make people anxious ... indecisive ... , paradoxically, ... happy with what ... “The Paradox of Choice” “To minimize the mental noise, he said, limit the number of choices you make, and your brain will thank you for it.” Etymology
From Middle English chois, from Old French chois (“choice”), from choisir (“to choose, perceive”), possibly via assumed Vulgar Latin causīre (“to choose”), from Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (kausjan, “to make a choice, taste, test, choose”), from Proto-Germanic kauzijaną, from keusaną (“to choose”), from Proto-Indo-European ǵews- (“to choose”). Akin to Old High German kiosan (“to choose”), Old English ċēosan (“to choose”), Old Norse kjósa (“to choose”). More at choose.
From Middle English choys, from a merger of the noun above and Middle English chyse, chuse, chys, chis (“choice, excellent”), from Old English ċīes (“choice; dainty; nice”), related to Old English ċēosan (“to choose”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/choice
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0