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Option vs Alternative - What's the difference?

option | alternative | Synonyms |

Alternative is a synonym of option.



As nouns the difference between option and alternative

is that option is one of the choices which can be made while alternative is a situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities.

As a verb option

is to purchase an option on something.

As an adjective alternative is

relating to a choice between two or more possibilities.

option

English

(wikipedia option)

Noun

(en noun)
  • One of the choices which can be made.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 23 , author=Becky Ashton , title=QPR 1 - 0 Chelsea , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Luiz struggled with the movement of Helguson in the box, as he collected a long ball and the Spaniard barged him over, leaving referee Chris Foy little option but to point to the spot.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2012-01
    • , author=Steven Sloman , title=The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation , volume=100, issue=1, page=74 , magazine= citation , passage=Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options' are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present ' options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control.}}
  • The freedom or right to choose.
  • (finance)(legal) A contract giving the holder the right to buy or sell an asset at a set strike price; can apply to financial market transactions, or to ordinary transactions for tangible assets such as a residence or automobile.
  • (graphical user interface) A button on a screen used to select an action (often "menu option")

    • Synonyms

    * alternative * choice * possibility * See also

    Hyponyms

    * (finance) (A contract giving the holder the right to buy or sell an asset) American option, Bermudan option, European option, call option or call, put option or put, warrant

    Derived terms

    * optionable * optional * stock option

    Related terms

    * opt * optimal * optimise, optimize * optimism * optimist * optimistic

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To purchase an option on something.
    • The new novel was optioned by the film studio, but they'll probably never decide to make a movie from it.

    External links

    * *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    alternative

    English

    (wikipedia alternative)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities
    • an alternative proposition
  • Not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground (e.g., alternative medicine, alternative lifestyle, (alternative rock)).
  • Other.
  • alternate; reciprocal
    • (Holland)

    Derived terms

    * alternative dispute resolution * alternative energy * alternative lifestyle * alternative medicine * alternative press * alternative vote

    Related terms

    * alternate * alternativeness * alternativism

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities.
  • * 1817 , (Walter Scott), Rob Roy , XI:
    • ‘The cloister or a betrothed husband?’ I echoed—‘Is that the alternative destined for Miss Vernon?’
  • One of several mutually exclusive things which can be chosen.
  • The remaining option; something available after other possibilities have been exhausted.

    • Synonyms

    * See also

    See also

    *

    References

    * * ----