choice

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.

The adjectival meaning of "especially good, preferred, select" was likely influenced by Middle English chyse, chys, chis (“choice, excellent”), from Old English ċīs, *ċīes (“choice; dainty; nice”), related to Old English ċēosan (“to choose”).

• IPA^(key): /tʃɔɪs/

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• Rhymes: -ɔɪs

choice (countable and uncountable, plural choices)

1. An option; a decision; an opportunity to choose or select something.
   • 2012 January 1, Steven Sloman, “The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation”, in American Scientist‎, volume 100, number 1, page 74:

     Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control.

   Do I have a choice of what color to paint it?

2. (uncountable) The power to choose.

   She didn't leave us much choice.

   • 1907, Woodrow Wilson, Constitutional Government in the United States, page 68:

     For he is also the political leader of the nation, or has it in his choice to be.

3. One selection or preference; that which is chosen or decided; the outcome of a decision.

   The ice cream sundae is a popular choice for dessert.

4. Anything that can be chosen.

   You have three choices: vanilla, strawberry or chocolate

5. (usually with the) The best or most preferable part.
   • (Can we date this quote?) John Milton

     The flower and choice / Of many provinces from bound to bound.

6. (obsolete) Care and judgement in selecting; discrimination, selectiveness.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Francis Bacon

     I imagine they [the apothegms of Caesar] were collected with judgment and choice.

   • 1757, Edmund Burke, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, London: R. & J. Dodsley, Part I, Section I, p. 1,

     We see children perpetually running from place to place to hunt out something new; they catch with great eagerness, and with very little choice, at whatever comes before them; their attention is engaged by every thing, because every thing has, in that stage of life, the charm of novelty to recommend it.

7. (obsolete) A sufficient number to choose among.
   • c. 1591, Shakespeare, William, Henry VI, Part 1, act 5, scene 5, lines 17–18:

     And, which is more, she is not so divine, / So full replete with choice of all delights

• (selection or preference): option, possibility; see also Thesaurus:option
• (anything that can be chosen): assortment, range, selection
• (definite: best or most preferable part): the cream
• (sufficient number to choose among): abundance, profusion; see also Thesaurus:cornucopia

• choicy
• Hercules' choice
• Hobson's choice
• Sophie's choice

• choose
• choosey
• chosen

choice (comparative choicer or more choice, superlative choicest or most choice)

1. Especially good or preferred.

   It's a choice location, but you will pay more to live there.

2. (slang, New Zealand) Cool; excellent.

   Choice! I'm going to the movies.

3. (obsolete) Careful in choosing; discriminating.
   • 1856, J. R. Planché (tr.), Fairy Tales by the Countess d'Aulnoy, The Princess Carpillon:

     Thus musing, he ate nothing; the Queen, believing that it was in consequence of his having been unkindly received, loaded him with caresses; she herself handed him some exquisite fruits, of which she was very choice.

• (especially good or preferred): prime, prize, quality, select, choicy

• choicy

• choice at OneLook Dictionary Search
• choice in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

• echoic