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.
Lincoln did not treat the Revolution as an open-ended aspiration; he gave it a moral center, insisting that equality was not an optional inheritance but the nation’s core identity.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
What follows is a sometimes frustrating, often hilarious hodgepodge of observations about the innate folly of living in a world where treating employees with basic respect is seen as optional.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
Ian Hulme, from the ICO, said: "Waiting for performance issues or a ransom note to discover a breach is not acceptable. Proactive security is a legal requirement, not an optional extra."
From BBC • May 12, 2026
Free community event with optional VIP packages available for purchase.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
People said he treated the taxation laws as entirely optional, but he would make a fair deal where the need was real.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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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