opine

verb

ō-ˈpīn 

opined; opining

intransitive verb

: to express opinions

You may opine about anything you want.

transitive verb

: to state as an opinion

opined that the nominee was not fit to serve on the Supreme Court

Did you know?

We are not opining—that is, expressing our opinion—when we say that opine is not a back-formation of opinion, though the two words do share a common ancestry. A back-formation is a word formed by the subtraction of part of an existing word; for instance, the verb bartend is a back-formation of the noun bartender. Opine and opinion, however, both entered English independently, taking different routes from their mutual roots in the Latin verb opīnārī, meaning “to have in mind” or “to think.” Opinion arrived in the 14th century, while opine followed about a century later.

Synonyms

• allow
• comment
• editorialize
• note
• observe
• reflect
• remark
• weigh in

Examples of opine in a Sentence

Many people opine that the content of Web pages should be better regulated.

You can opine about any subject you like.

Recent Examples on the Web

Having cemented a reputation among locals and international visitors alike, Giacomo Milano has managed to attract a wealthy clientele that’s fascinated by the cultural undercurrent that its locations and menus have to offer, Grossi opined. —Martino Carrera, WWD, 20 Feb. 2025

Others opined that America has generally become weary of Swift’s omnipresence across all media. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2025

As Ford opined, several Jeep models can be seen driving and off-roading, including one that passes a Ford Bronco SUV — a newer competitor to the Jeep Wrangler SUV — while the actor talks about inspiring others. —Michael Wayland, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2025

That game’s lead analyst for Fox didn’t hesitate to opine what should unfold when Brady inherited a tie game with 1:21 remaining and the ball at the Patriots’ 17-yard line. —Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English opinen "to hold an opinion, think (that something is the case)," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French opiner "to express one's view, be of the opinion (that)," borrowed from Latin opīnārī "to hold as an opinion, think, have in mind," of obscure origin

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for opine

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• byline
• canine

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Kids Definition

opine

verb

ō-ˈpīn 

opined; opining

: to have or express an opinion