optional

adjective

op·​tion·​al ˈäp-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce optional (audio)
Synonyms of optional
: involving an option : not compulsory
optionality
ˌäp-shə-ˈna-lə-tē How to pronounce optional (audio)
noun
optionally adverb

Synonyms of optional

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Examples of optional in a Sentence

Jackets are required at the restaurant, but ties are optional. Many optional features are available on this car. Registration is optional, not mandatory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Registration is free; every eligible supporter can cast one free vote every 24 hours, and adults, other than the parents, may also make optional votes by donation. — Ethan M. Stone, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 The optional 18-way sport seats fitted to this test car are another reminder that the GT3 is meant to live a double life of sorts. — Bradley Iger, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026 Somewhere in South Carolina, a child too young for a second dose of the measles vaccine contracted the virus from someone whose parents had decided, for reasons unrelated to medicine, that vaccination was optional. — A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026 While most resorts nowadays in Key West are predictably mainstream and family-friendly, the adults-only, clothing optional Island House Resort Key West is still testament to the island’s progressive, free-spirited ethos. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for optional

Word History

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of optional was in 1765

Browse Nearby Words

option
optional
optionalize
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Cite this Entry

“Optional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optional. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

optional

adjective
op·​tion·​al ˈäp-shnəl How to pronounce optional (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
: left to one's choice : not required
optional equipment on a new car
optionally
-ē
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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