English Reference

Word

choose

US/ˈtʃuz/

UK/tʃˈuːz/

Irregular verb

Forms

Infinitive

choose

Past

chose

Past participle

chosen

Definitions

01to select

A1 · Beginner

v. to pick one person or thing from a group because you like it best.

v. to select one or more items from a set of available alternatives.

“It was hard to choose a dessert because they all looked delicious.”

“Consumers often find it difficult to choose between competing brands when the price points and features are nearly identical.”

Usage

Often used with 'between' for two options or 'from' for a larger group.

Pitfall

I have chose the red one.

I have chosen the red one.

The past participle is 'chosen'. 'Chose' is the simple past tense.

Synonyms

selectpickopt for

Antonyms

02to decide

B1 · Intermediate

v. to decide to do something after thinking about it.

v. to determine a course of action through an act of will.

“She chose to stay home and rest instead of going to the party.”

“The board chose to ignore the consultant's warnings, a decision that ultimately led to a significant loss in market share.”

Usage

Usually followed by a 'to' infinitive.

03to elect

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to pick someone for a job or position by voting.

v. to select a person for a position, office, or membership, often through a formal vote.

“The club members will choose a new president at the meeting next week.”

“The citizens were tasked to choose a representative who could balance local interests with national economic priorities.”

Usage

Often used in the passive voice in political contexts.

Synonyms

electappointvote in

Antonyms

04math combinations

C1 · Advanced Mathematics Technical

conj. a word used in math to talk about how many ways you can pick a small group from a big group.

conj. used between two integers to express the binomial coefficient, representing the number of ways to choose a subset.

“In the probability problem, we had to calculate five choose two.”

“The formula requires you to determine 'n choose k' to find the total number of possible combinations in the sample set.”

Usage

Placed between two numbers, as in 'n choose k'.

Teaching tip

This is highly specialized; most learners will only encounter it in university-level statistics or combinatorics.

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “choose” in context.

01. choose method 02. individual choose

Etymology

From Middle English cheosen, chesen, from Old English ċēosan (“to choose, seek out, select, elect, decide, test, accept, settle for, approve”), from Proto-West Germanic keusan, from Proto-Germanic keusaną (“to taste, choose”), from Proto-Indo-European ǵéwseti, from ǵews- (“to taste, try”). Cognate with Scots chuise, cheese (“to choose”), North Frisian kese (“to choose”), Saterland Frisian kjoze (“to choose”), West Frisian kieze (“to choose”), Dutch kiezen (“to choose”), French choisir (“to choose”), Low German kesen (“to choose”), German Low German kiesen (“to pick, select”), archaic and partially obsolete German kiesen (“to choose”), Danish kyse (“to frighten (via ‘to charm, allure’ and ‘to enchant’)”), Norwegian kjose (“to choose”), Swedish tjusa (“to charm, allure, enchant”), Icelandic kjósa (“to choose, vote, elect”), Gothic 𐌺𐌹𐌿𐍃𐌰𐌽 (kiusan, “to test”), Latin gustō (“to taste, sample”), Ancient Greek γεύω (geúō, “to feed”), Sanskrit जोषति (jóṣati, “to like, enjoy”), Russian кушать (kúšatʹ, “to have a meal, to eat”).

From Middle English chose, chos, chooce, a Northern dialectal form of Middle English chois (“choice”). Cognate with Scots chose, choose, chuse (“choosing, choice, selection”). Doublet of choice, which see for more.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related words

Idioms

Domain

Mathematics

This entry

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.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL 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: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
Frequency
Very common
Level
A1 · BeginnerOxford
Updated

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English Reference