OPTIONAL: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for OPTIONAL?

Need another word that means the same as “optional”? Find 8 synonyms and 30 related words for “optional” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Optional” are: voluntary, discretionary, not required, up to the individual, elective, free, open, unforced

Optional as an Adjective

Definitions of "Optional" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “optional” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Available to be chosen but not obligatory.
• Possible but not necessary; left to personal choice.

Synonyms of "Optional" as an adjective (8 Words)

discretionary	Available for use at the discretion of the user. Discretionary portfolios.
elective	(of a body or position) possessing or giving the power to elect. Elective surgery.
free	Using or expending something without restraint; lavish. A free country.
not required	Required by rule.
open	Of a vowel produced with a relatively wide opening of the mouth and the tongue kept low. The party s commitment to open government.
unforced	Not resulting from undue effort; not forced. An unforced cheerfulness.
up to the individual	Open.
voluntary	Controlled by individual volition. Voluntary manslaughter.

Usage Examples of "Optional" as an adjective

• A wide range of optional excursions is offered.

Associations of "Optional" (30 Words)

abstention	Restraint in one’s consumption; abstinence. A resolution passed by 126 votes to none with six abstentions.
accessory	Someone who helps another person commit a crime. She was charged as an accessory to murder.
alternative	Necessitating a choice between mutually exclusive possibilities. An alternative lifestyle.
ballot	Vote by ballot. If the offer is oversubscribed acceptances will be balloted.
choice	An act of choosing between two or more possibilities. Your choice of colors was unfortunate.
choose	Pick out select or choose from a number of alternatives. I always choose the fish over the meat courses in this restaurant.
chosen	Having been selected as the best or most appropriate. She was Mama s chosen.
decide	Cause to decide. I ve decided to stay on a bit.
elect	Selected as the best. I elected to have my funds deposited automatically.
election	The status or fact of being elected. His election to the House of Representatives.
elective	Not compulsory. An elective course of study.
elector	In the US a member of the electoral college. Close to 60 per cent of the 60 000 registered electors voted.
hustings	A meeting at which candidates in an election address potential voters. I was out on the hustings talking to people.
incoming	The act of entering. Keep an account of your incomings and outgoings.
individually	One by one; singly; separately. Dublin people dress more individually than people in London.
menu	(computer science) a list of options available to a computer user. They worked rapidly down the menu of reports.
opt	Make a choice from a range of possibilities. Consumers will opt for low priced goods.
option	Buy or sell an option on. She was given the option of resigning or being dismissed.
pick	Hit lightly with a picking motion. He was my pick for mayor.
predetermine	Predestine (an outcome or course of events. A strong sense that life had been predetermined.
prefer	Give preference to one creditor over another. We prefer sleeping outside.
referendum	A legislative act is referred for final approval to a popular vote by the electorate.
scarify	Make shallow incisions in (the skin), especially as a medical procedure or traditional cosmetic practice. Scarify soil.
select	Selected or chosen for special qualifications. Click Tools on the menu bar and select Settings.
selection	A plot of land acquired by selection. The publication of a selection of his poems.
selective	(of a process or agent) affecting some things and not others. He is very selective in his reading.
selectively	By selection; in a selective manner. He accused state officials of selectively enforcing the law.
singly	One by one; one at a time. He talked to the players singly and in groups.
suffrage	(in the Book of Common Prayer) the intercessory petitions pronounced by a priest in the Litany. The suffrages of the community.
vote	Cause someone to gain or lose a particular post or honour by means of a vote. The referendum call was voted down.