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Glite Dictionary
to opt for

to opt for

63 3.5
Choose one thing from several available
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɑpt fɔr/
: optar por
  • The tendency is for them to opt for courses in Arts, Liberal Arts, and the Social Sciences.
  • opt for the alternative
  • opt for the solution
  • opt for an approach

Now boredom is optional and most people opt for mindless scrolling.

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Examples

  • He'd worked for the post office for thirty years and had opted for early retirement.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • At that point, the administration decided to opt for a counter-cyclical policy.

    Academic text (2011)

  • And if I was given the choice, I would say to opt for water or milk.

  • And it depends on what we as a society opt for or push for.

  • So today I opted for more of a medium coverage.

  • So if that is the case, I would probably opt for like a business casual of some sort.

    Zoe Hong

  • Eventually, many communities and some regions opt for alternative lifestyles and economic practices.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Some of our clients opt for biometric access, straight in... off the tarmac.

    Tenet (2020)

  • Even non-Islamist groups might opt for policies less cooperative with America and more hostile to Israel.

    Academic text (2011)

  • When making a salad, you can opt for fresh vegetables instead of canned ones.

Synonyms

to choose
vsto opt for
∞ 1.0

Pick one thing or person from a group

is a neutral phrase meaning to decide in favor of an option
to decide
vsto opt for
∞ 1.0

To make a choice after thinking about the options

is choosing one option specifically among several possibilities
to pick
vsto opt for
∞ 1.0

To choose carefully from a group

is broader, focusing simply on deciding in favor of an option
to take
vsto opt for
∞ 1.0

Choose something from several options

is mainly about deciding in favor rather than acquiring something
to select
vsto opt for
823 2.5

To choose someone or something from a group

is a more general decision without stressing careful selection
to go for
vsto opt for
430 2.1

To choose one thing instead of others

is a straightforward decision rather than a casual expression of liking
to go with
vsto opt for
181 1.1

To choose one thing from several options

is a simple acceptance rather than a careful evaluation between options
to settle upon
vsto opt for
1 3.9

To pick one thing after thinking about the choices

is a more general act of choosing without stressing prior consideration
to plump for
vsto opt for
  • UK
1 7.3

Choose someone or something after thinking about other options

is a neutral decision rather than an expressed backing

Antonyms

to reject
839 1.9

Refuse to accept someone or something

How Formal

to select
823 2.5
to opt for
63 3.5
to choose
∞ 1.0
to go for
430 2.1
to pick
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

opt for infinitive
opted for past
opted for past participle
opting for present participle
opts for third person singular

Morphology

opt + for

The meaning 'to choose or decide in favor of' is directly derivable from 'opt' (to select) combined with 'for' (indicating the chosen option). This verb + preposition pattern is a common, compositional construction (e.g., Spanish 'optar por'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

The phrase opt for comes from the simple image of choosing one thing from many: opt means to pick and for points to the thing you pick. Imagine picking one apple from a basket — that's why opt for means 'to choose' or 'decide in favor of' today.