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We are not opining—that is, expressing our opinion—when we say that opine is not a back-formation of opinion, though the two words do share a common ancestry. A back-formation is a word formed by the subtraction of part of an existing word; for instance, the verb bartend is a back-formation of the noun bartender. Opine and opinion, however, both entered English independently, taking different routes from their mutual roots in the Latin verb opīnārī, meaning “to have in mind” or “to think.” Opinion arrived in the 14th century, while opine followed about a century later.
Examples of opine in a Sentence
Peter White, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2025
During Trump’s first term, the Berkshire chair and CEO opined at length in 2018 and 2019 about the trade conflicts that erupted, warning that the Republican’s aggressive moves could cause negative consequences globally.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2025
The alleged fraud continued after the June board meeting, as Motorsport’s CFO opined to minority investors the company had regrettably overpaid for 704Games by $1.1 million.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Feb. 2025
By referencing a federal case, in which Combs faces charges of trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution, Buzbee also violated a New York procedural rule that bars attorneys from opining on separate criminal matters, the filing says.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opine
Cite this Entry
“Opine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opine. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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