English · Word Candidate

optional

/ˈɒp.ʃə.nəl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: optionals

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Not compulsory; left to personal choice; elective.

Adjective

Examples

On that beach clothing is entirely optional.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Something that is not compulsory, especially part of an academic course.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

In various programming languages, a kind of variable that is assigned a specific data type but may or may not hold an actual value.

Noun

Examples

In functional languages, there is a data type called the option type, also called the maybe type. Its purpose is to encapsulate a value, which is returned from a function. […] In Java 8, the Optional class has been added to serve as an option type.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “optional” mean?

Not compulsory; left to personal choice; elective.

Is “optional” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.