option: Meaning and Definition of

op•tion

Pronunciation: (op'shun), [key]
— n.
  1. the power or right of choosing.
  2. something that may be or is chosen; choice.
  3. the act of choosing.
  4. an item of equipment or a feature that may be chosen as an addition to or replacement for standard equipment and features: a car with a long list of extra-cost options; a telephoto lens option for a camera.
  5. See
  6. a privilege acquired, as by the payment of a premium or consideration, of demanding, within a specified time, the carrying out of a transaction upon stipulated terms; the right, as granted in a contract or by an initial payment, of acquiring something in the future: We bought one lot and took a 90-day option on an adjoining one.
  7. a play in which a back has a choice of either passing or running with the ball.
—v.t.
  1. to acquire or grant an option on: The studio has optioned his latest novel for film adaptation.
  2. to provide with optional equipment: The car can be fully optioned at additional cost.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: