- the past participle of choose
selected or picked out, esp for some special quality
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
cho•sen /ˈtʃoʊzən/USA pronunciation
v.
adj. [before a noun]
n.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025- pp. of choose.
adj. [before a noun]
- selected from several;
preferred: my chosen profession. - Religion elect (def. 8).
n.
- Religionthe chosen, [plural; used with a plural verb] elect (def. 9):Only the chosen are allowed past these doors.
choose /tʃuz/USA pronunciation
v., chose/tʃoʊz/USA pronunciation cho•sen/ˈtʃoʊzən/USA pronunciation choos•ing.
v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025v.
- to select from a number of possibilities;
pick by preference: [~ + object]She chose July for her wedding.[no object]Choose carefully. - to prefer or decide (to do something):[~ + to + verb]to choose to speak.
- choose up,
- [~ + up + object] to select the team members of:chose up sides before the game.
- [no object] to pick players for opposing teams.
- choose is a verb, choice is a noun and an adjective, choosy is an adjective:He chose Susan as a dance partner. His choice was Susan. That was a choice piece of meat. He is a choosy shopper.
cho•sen
(chō′zən),USA pronunciation v.
adj.
n.
Cho•sen (chō′sen′),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- a pp. of choose.
adj.
- selected from several;
preferred:my chosen profession. - [Theol.]elect (def. 9).
n.
- elect.
Cho•sen (chō′sen′),USA pronunciation n.
- Place NamesJapanese name of Korea.
choose
(cho̅o̅z),USA pronunciation v., chose;
cho•sen or (Obs.) chose;
choos•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
choos′a•ble, adj.
choos′er, n.
cho•sen or (Obs.) chose;
choos•ing.
v.t.
- to select from a number of possibilities;
pick by preference:She chose Sunday for her departure. - to prefer or decide (to do something):He chose to run for election.
- to want;
desire. - (esp. in children's games) to contend with (an opponent) to decide, as by odd or even, who will do something:I'll choose you to see who gets to bat first.
v.i.
- to make a choice:He chose carefully.
- to be inclined:You may stay here, if you choose.
- (esp. in children's games) to decide, as by means of odd or even, who will do something:Let's choose to see who bats first.
- Idioms cannot choose but, cannot do otherwise than;
is or are obliged to:He cannot choose but obey. - choose up:
- to select (players) for a contest or game:The boys chose up sides for the game.
- to select players for a contest or game:We have to choose up before we can play.
- bef. 1000; Middle English chosen, chēsen, Old English cēosan; cognate with Gothic kiusan, Old High German kiosan (German kiesen); akin to Greek geúesthai to enjoy, Latin gustāre to taste (see gusto)
choos′er, n.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged Choose, select, pick, elect, prefer indicate a decision that one or more possibilities are to be regarded more highly than others. Choose suggests a decision on one of a number of possibilities because of its apparent superiority:to choose a course of action.Select suggests a choice made for fitness:to select the proper golf club.Pick, an informal word, suggests a selection on personal grounds:to pick a winner.The formal word elect suggests a kind of official action:to elect a representative.Prefer, also formal, emphasizes the desire or liking for one thing more than for another or others:to prefer coffee to tea.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged reject.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
the official name for Korea when it was a Japanese province (1910–45)
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
to select (a person, thing, course of action, etc) from a number of alternatives - (tr; takes a clause as object or an infinitive)
to consider it desirable or proper: I don't choose to keep such company - (intransitive)
to like; please: you may stand if you choose - cannot choose but ⇒
to be obliged to: we cannot choose but vote for him - nothing to choose between, little to choose between ⇒
(of two people or objects) almost equal