taking and choosing

choice

choice [choice choices choicer choicest] noun, adjective   [tʃɔɪs]    [tʃɔɪs]

noun
1. countable ~ (between A and B) an act of choosing between two or more possibilities; something that you can choose
• women forced to make a choice between family and career
• We are faced with a difficult choice.
• We aim to help students make more informed career choices.
• Resources are finite, and choices have to be made between competing priorities and needs.

• There is a wide range of choices open to you.

2. uncountable, singular the right to choose or the possibility of choosing
• If I had the choice, I would stop working tomorrow.
• He had no choice but to leave (= this was the only thing he could do).
• She's going to do it. She doesn't have much choice, really, does she?
• This government is committed to extending parental choice in education.
• After a delicious meal with free wine, the choice is yours: a quiet drink in the bar, the late night disco or a stroll along the beach beneath a starry sky.

• Sandy had to tell his tale in halting Italian. Since Franco spoke no English, he had no choice in the matter.

3. countable a person or thing that is chosen
• She's the obvious choice for the job.
• Hawaii remains a popular choice for winter vacation travel.
• This colour wasn't my first choice.
• She wouldn't be my choice as manager.

• I don't like his choice of friends (= the people he chooses as his friends).

4. singular, uncountable the number or range of different things from which to choose
• The menu has a good choice of desserts.
• There wasn't much choice of colour.
see also  Hobson's choice, multiple-choice 
more at you pays your money and you takes your choice at  pay  _v., be spoilt for choice at  spoilt  
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French chois, from choisir ‘choose’, of Germanic origin and related to choose.  
Thesaurus:
choice noun
1. C
• Many women make a choice between family and career.
selection • |informal pick •
make a choice/selection
have/take a/your choice/pick
get first choice/pick
2. U, C, usually sing.
• If I had the choice, I'd give up work tomorrow.
• He had no choice but to (= he had to) leave.
option • • alternative • • possibility •
a real/realistic/practical choice/option/alternative/possibility
a/an good/acceptable/reasonable choice/option/alternative
have no choice/option/alternative (but to do sth)
look at/limit the choices/options/alternatives/possibilities
Choice, option or alternative? Alternative is slightly more formal than option or choice, and is more frequently used to talk about choosing between two things rather than several.
3. C
• She is the first choice for the job.
preference • • selection • |BrE favourite • |AmE favorite • |especially AmE, informal pick •
sb's choice/favourite/pick for sth
sb's choice/selection/pick as sth
an obvious choice/selection/favourite
4. sing., U
• a good choice of desserts
range • • variety • • selection • • assortment • • array •
a wide choice/range/variety/selection/assortment/array
a/an good/interesting/limited choice/range/variety/selection
have/offer/provide (a/an) choice/range/variety/selection/array/assortment (of sth) 
Synonyms:
choice
favourite • preference • selection • pick
These are all words for a person or thing that is chosen, or that is liked more than others.
choice • a person or thing that is chosen: ▪ She's the obvious choice for the job.
favourite/favorite • a person or thing that you like more than the others of the same type: ▪ Which one's your favourite?
preference • a thing that is liked better or best: ▪ Tastes and preferences vary from individual to individual.
favourite or preference?
Your favourites are the things you like best, and that you have, do, listen to, etc. often; your preferences are the things that you would rather have or do if you can choose.
selection • a number of people or things that have been chosen from a larger group: ▪ A selection of reader's comments are published below.
pick • (rather informal, especially NAmE) a person or thing that is chosen: ▪ She was his pick for best actress.
sb's choice/favourite/pick for sth
sb's choice/selection/pick as sth
an obvious choice/favourite/selection
a(n) excellent/good/popular/fine choice/selection 
Synonyms:
option
choice • alternative • possibility
These are all words for sth that you choose to do in a particular situation.
option • something that you can choose to have or do; the freedom to choose what you do: ▪ As I see it, we have two options… ◊ ▪ Students have the option of studying abroad in their second year.
Option is also the word used in computing for one of the choices you can make when using a computer program: ▪ Choose the ‘Cut’ option from the Edit menu.
choice • the freedom to choose what you do; something that you can choose to have or do: ▪ If I had the choice, I would stop working tomorrow. ◊ ▪ There is a wide range of choices open to you.
alternative • something that you can choose to have or do out of two or more possibilities: ▪ You can be paid in cash weekly or by cheque monthly: those are the two alternatives.
option, choice or alternative?
Choice is slightly less formal than option and alternative is slightly more formal. Choice is most often used for ‘the freedom to choose’, although you can sometimes also use option (but not usually alternative): ▪ If I had the choice/option, I would… ◊ If I had the alternative, I would… ◊ ▪ parental choice in education ◊ parental option/alternative in education. Things that you can choose are options, choices or alternatives. However, alternative is more frequently used to talk about choosing between two things rather than several.
possibility • one of the different things that you can do in a particular situation: ▪ We need to explore a wide range of possibilities. ◊ ▪ The possibilities are endless.
Possibility can be used in a similar way to option, choice and alternative, but the emphasis here is less on the need to make a choice, and more on what is available.
with/without the option/choice/possibility of sth
a(n) good/acceptable/reasonable/possible option/choice/alternative
the only option/choice/alternative/possibility open to sb
to have a/an/the option/choice of doing sth
to have no option/choice/alternative but to do sth)
a number/range of options/choices/alternatives/possibilities 
Example Bank:
• Bill is the obvious choice for captain of the team.
• Doctors have to make moral choices every day of their lives.
• Everyone in a democracy has the right to exercise choice.
• First prize will be a meal for two at a restaurant of your choice.
• He had no choice about that.
• I don't think much of her choice of outfit.
• I had no choice but to cancel my holiday.
• I now had a clear choice: either I accept their terms or I leave.
• I think she's a very good choice for captain.
• I wouldn't have come to this bar by choice!
• In the end, the choice was quite easy.
• It was a happy choice of venue
• Maria defended her choice of name for the child.
• Mary is a popular choice as chair of the committee.
• Much ill health is the result of poor diet and lifestyle choices.
• Our first choice for a holiday is the north of Scotland.
• Our first choice for a site was already taken.
• People were asked about their top choices for meeting locations.
• She faced the stark choice of backing the new plan or losing her job.
• She has a choice between three different universities.
• She questioned the choice of Murphy for this role.
• She was starting to regret her choice.
• Smoking may limit your choice of contraception.
• Students have a free choice from a range of subjects.
• The hotel is the preferred choice for business people.
• The shop has a very limited choice of ties.
• The way he behaved meant that we had no choice in the matter.
• These are personal choices that people must make for themselves.
• We gave her the choice, and she decided she'd like a bike for her birthday.
• We offer a choice of ten different destinations.
• When did you make a conscious choice to become an artist?
• You can have first choice of all the rooms.
• Your decision leaves me with no choice but to resign.
• Your needs should dictate your choice.
• a careful choice of words
• a limited range of choices available to buyers
• a range of available choices
• a test with multiple choice questions
• to extend parental choice as to which schools children should attend
• to make choices about their future
• I don't like his choice of friends.
• Many women are forced to make a choice between family and career.
• She wouldn't be my choice as manager.
• She's going to do it. She doesn't have much choice, really, does she?
• She's the obvious choice for the job.
• The choice is yours: a quiet drink in the bar, the late night disco or a stroll along the beach.
• There wasn't much choice of colour.
• This colour wasn't my first choice.

Idioms: by choice ▪ of choice ▪ of your choice 

choose

choose [choose chooses chose choosing chosen]   [tʃuːz]    [tʃuːz]  verb (chose   [tʃəʊz]  ;   [tʃoʊz]  , chosen   [ˈtʃəʊzn]  ;   [ˈtʃoʊzn]  )
1. intransitive, transitive to decide which thing or person you want out of the ones that are available
• You choose, I can't decide.
• There are plenty of restaurants to choose from.
• ~ between A and/or B She had to choose between staying in the UK or going home.
• ~ sth Sarah chose her words carefully.
• This site has been chosen for the new school.
• ~ A from B We have to choose a new manager from a shortlist of five candidates.
• ~ sb/sth as/for sth He chose banking as a career.
• We chose Phil McSweeney as/for chairperson.
• ~ whether, wat, etc… You'll have to choose whether to buy it or not.
• ~ to do sth We chose to go by train.

• ~ sb to be/do sth We chose Phil McSweeney to be chairperson.

2. intransitive, transitive to prefer or decide to do sth
• Employees can retire at 60 if they choose.
• ~ to do sth Many people choose not to marry.
see also  choice  _n.
more at pick and choose at  pick  _v.
Idiom: there is not much to choose between A and B
Verb forms:

 
Word Origin:
Old English cēosan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kiezen.  
Thesaurus:
choose verb I, T
1.
• We have to choose a new manager.
select • • decide • • opt • • single sb/sth out • • adopt • |informal pick • • go for sth •
choose/select/decide/pick between A and/or B
choose/select/opt for/single out/adopt/pick/go for sb/sth as sb/sth
choose/select/single out/pick sb/sth for sb/sth
choose/select/opt for/single out/adopt/pick/go for sb/sth to do sth
Choose, select or pick? When you select sth you usually choose it carefully, unless you actually say that it is selected randomly/at random. Pick is a more informal word that describes a less careful action. Choose is the most general of these words and the only one that can be used without an object:
• You choose— I can't decide
 ¤ You select/pick— I can't decide.
2. I, T
• Many people choose not to marry.
decide • • make up your mind • |formal determine • • elect • • resolve •
choose/decide/make up your mind/determine/elect/resolve to do sth
choose/decide/make up your mind whether/what/how…
be free to choose/decide/determine 
Synonyms:
choose
select • pick • decide • opt • go for
These words all mean to decide which thing or person you want out of the ones that are available.
choose • to decide which thing or person you want out of the ones that are available: ▪ You choose— I can't decide.
select • [often passive] to choose sb/sth, usually carefully, from a group of people or things: ▪ He was selected for the team. ◊ ▪ a randomly selected sample of 23 schools
pick • (rather informal) to choose sb/sth from a group of people or things: ▪ She picked the best cake for herself.
choose, select or pick?
Choose is the most general of these words and the only one that can be used without an object. When you select sth, you choose it carefully, unless you actually say that it is selected randomly/at random. Pick is a more informal word and often a less careful action, used especially when the choice being made is not very important.
decide • to choose between two or more possibilities: ▪ We're still trying to ▪ decide on ▪ a venue.
opt • to choose to take or not to take a particular course of action: ▪ After graduating she opted for a career in music. ◊ ▪ After a lot of thought, I ▪ opted against ▪ buying a motorbike.
go for sth • (rather informal) to choose sth: ▪ I think I'll go for the fruit salad.
to choose/select/pick/decide between A and/or B
to choose/select/pick A from B
to opt/go for sb/sth
to choose/decide/opt to do sth
to choose/select/pick sb/sth carefully/at random
randomly chosen/selected/picked 
Example Bank:
• She had to choose between giving up her job or hiring a nanny.
• There are several different models to choose from.
• They can choose freely from a wide range of courses.
• You are free to choose whichever courses you want to take.
• You have to take any job you can get— you can't pick and choose.
• We chose Paul Stubbs to be chairperson.
• We deliberately chose to stay in a cheap non-western hotel.
• With practice, you can consciously choose not to react in a stressed way.
• You choose— I can't decide.

• You'll have to choose whether to buy it or not.