Optional

How to spell optional

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce optional

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does optional mean?

1. adjectiveAvailable to be chosen but not required.

Optional in a sentence

• The extended warranty is optional and costs a little extra.

• Attendance at the afternoon workshop is entirely optional.

Where does optional come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb optare, which meant 'to choose' or 'to wish for', the same root that gives us 'opt', 'option', and 'adopt'. From optare came the noun optio, meaning 'a choice', and English built 'option' on that in the 1600s. The adjective 'optional', meaning 'left to one's own choice', appeared somewhat later in the 1700s by attaching the familiar -al suffix to 'option'. The spelling trap lives in the unstressed middle: writers hear an 'sh' sound and may second-guess the -tion- spelling, while the final -al can be mistaken for -ial or -le. Remembering the parent word 'option' keeps the structure honest, since 'optional' is simply 'option' plus -al.

How the word is built

• opt- (from optare: to choose)
• -ion (state of)
• -al (adjective suffix)