as in voluntary
subject to one's freedom of choice
at the resort all recreational activities are optional, and you may choose to participate in none of them
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Recent Examples of optional
Fresh parsley, optional Directions Prep Pan Preheat oven to 375°F.
—
Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2025
Both Apple and Google already have optional ways for parents to manage or block their children’s app downloads, and Meta argues that there should be a federal law that requires them to verify users’ age range and require parents to approve downloads from teens and children.
—Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
The board agreed and voted unanimously to make the class optional this coming schoolyear instead of mandatory.
—Marsha Sutton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
The new Certificate of Need process would shorten many of those time frames, with the period to determine the completion of applications shrinking from 30 to just three days followed by decision deadlines cut in half and public hearings made optional, according to a release from Anwar.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optional
Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2025
Both Apple and Google already have optional ways for parents to manage or block their children’s app downloads, and Meta argues that there should be a federal law that requires them to verify users’ age range and require parents to approve downloads from teens and children.
—Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
The board agreed and voted unanimously to make the class optional this coming schoolyear instead of mandatory.
—Marsha Sutton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
The new Certificate of Need process would shorten many of those time frames, with the period to determine the completion of applications shrinking from 30 to just three days followed by decision deadlines cut in half and public hearings made optional, according to a release from Anwar.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optional
Adjective
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Supportive housing is permanent, affordable housing combined with voluntary support services to address the underlying issues that prevent some people from maintaining stable housing.—
Pascale Leone,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2025
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Already, the Department of Education is moving forward with a proposal to get rid of nearly half its workforce, the Department of Veterans Affairs is targeting a reduction of 80,000 employees and the Social Security Administration has offered voluntary buyouts ahead of a reduction in force.—
Stephen Fowler,
NPR,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In 2017 alone, more than 1.4 million Americans traveled for elective surgeries, ranging from rhinoplasties to dental procedures to tummy tucks.—
Keydra Manns,
Essence,
20 Mar. 2025
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Smoothing the elective surgical schedule throughout the week and even weekend to reduce the variation in demand for inpatient beds.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The top sectors were healthcare +2%, discretionary +1.21%, and staples +0.86%, while utilities -0.81%, materials -0.58%, and tech -0.24%.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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Consumer discretionary stocks, which have made up the worst-performing sector so far this year, led the S&P 500 higher for the day.—
Michele Luhn,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Optional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optional. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
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