optional
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But scientists, universities, publishers, and funders need to treat peer review as the essential work that it is, not as an optional favor.
From Slate • May 3, 2026
"They're market leaders in the podcast space, whereas we're a 'video-first' business. They were 'eyes optional', and now pivoting into some video. We've always said we're 'ears optional'."
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins aims to reverse the decline in initial public offerings by making quarterly reporting optional.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
“Compliance with a lawful order of a court is not optional; it is required in a democracy committed to the rule of law.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
"You chose to write about them for the optional essay question. Would you care to hear what you had to say?"
From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
Vocabulary lists containing optional
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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New Kid
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