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option

An option is a possibility or choice. In football, a quarterback with three wide receivers has (at least) three throwing options.

An option is something that can be chosen — it's a possibility. Even something crazy — like jumping off a cliff — is always an option, just not a good one. There are lots of technical uses of option in business and legal writing. If you have the option on a house, you have the right to buy it. In sports, a free agent has the option of joining another team. No matter what you do, it's nice to have options. When we have no options, we feel trapped.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: option

1	n	one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen
2	n	the right to buy or sell property at an agreed price; the right is purchased and if it is not exercised by a stated date the money is forfeited

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: option

n one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen

“what option did I have?”

Synonyms:: alternative, choice

Types:: show 10 types...; hide 10 types...; obverse
the more conspicuous of two alternatives or cases or sides; druthers, preference
the right or chance to choose; default, default option
an option that is selected automatically unless an alternative is specified; opening, possibility, possible action
a possible alternative; impossibility, impossible action
an alternative that is not available; Hobson's choice
the choice of taking what is offered or nothing at all; soft option
an easier alternative; wish
the particular preference that you have; possible
something that can be done; impossible
something that cannot be done

Type of:: deciding, decision making
the cognitive process of reaching a decision

n the act of choosing or selecting

Synonyms:: choice, pick, selection

Types:: show 25 types...; hide 25 types...; casting
the choice of actors to play particular roles in a play or movie; coloration, colouration
choice and use of colors (as by an artist); sampling
(statistics) the selection of a suitable sample for study; conclusion, decision, determination
the act of making up your mind about something; volition, willing
the act of making a choice; election
the act of selecting someone or something; the exercise of deliberate choice; ballot, balloting, vote, voting
a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative; random sampling
the selection of a random sample; each element of the population has an equal chance of been selected; proportional sampling, representative sampling, stratified sampling
the population is divided into subpopulations (strata) and random samples are taken of each stratum; intention
an act of intending; a volition that you intend to carry out; appointment, assignment, designation, naming
the act of putting a person into a non-elective position; call
(sports) the decision made by an umpire or referee; move
the act of deciding to do something; casting lots, drawing lots, sortition
making a chance decision by using lots (straws or pebbles etc.) that are thrown or drawn; resolution
a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner; co-optation, co-option
the selection of a new member (usually by a vote of the existing membership); block vote
a vote proportional in magnitude to the number of people that a delegate represents; cumulative vote
an election in which each person has as many votes as there are positions to be filled and they can all be cast for one candidate or can be distributed in any manner; secret ballot
a vote in which each person's choice is secret but the totaled votes are public; split ticket
a ballot cast by a voter who votes for candidates from more than one party; straight ticket
a ballot cast by a voter who votes for all the candidates of one party; multiple voting
the act of voting in more than one place by the same person at the same election (illegal in U.S.); casting vote
the deciding vote cast by the presiding officer to resolve a tie; veto
a vote that blocks a decision; write-in
a vote cast by writing in the name of a candidate who is not listed on the ballot

Type of:: action
something done (usually as opposed to something said)

n the right to buy or sell property at an agreed price; the right is purchased and if it is not exercised by a stated date the money is forfeited

Types:: show 10 types...; hide 10 types...; naked option
a put or call option for which the seller or buyer has no underlying security position; covered option
a put or call option backed by the shares underlying the option; call, call option
the option to buy a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date; put, put option
the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date; straddle
the option to buy or sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date; consists of an equal number of put and call options; incentive option, incentive stock option
an option granted to corporate executives if the company achieves certain financial goals; stock option
the right to buy or sell a stock at a specified price within a stated period; lock-up option
an option to buy the crown jewels offered to a white knight in order to forestall a hostile takeover; call option
an option to buy; put option
an option to sell

Type of:: derivative, derivative instrument
a financial instrument whose value is based on another security

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