What does optionally mean?
“Optionally” means that an action, item, or choice is available but not required. It commonly appears in instructions, event descriptions, forms, and commercial language: a ticket may be “optionally refundable,” or a package may “optionally include” a meal. The word is useful because it distinguishes something genuinely discretionary from something mandatory without sounding abrupt or bureaucratic. It does not merely mean “sometimes”; it identifies an action as one that someone may choose to take. In everyday contexts, “you can optionally do it” may be more natural than the adverb standing alone. In passages that contrast two specific courses of action, “alternatively” is often the better choice because it explicitly introduces another possibility. The standard form is “optionally,” and it can readily be combined with a verb, as in “optionally include” or “optionally participate.”
adverbIn a way that allows something to be chosen or done but does not require it; as an alternative.
- As an alternative to requiring or doing something; in a way that leaves the choice open.
"Visitors may optionally purchase a printed guide to the exhibition."
"Participants can optionally submit a short written reflection after the workshop."
"Breakfast is included, although you may optionally dine at the restaurant instead."
“Optionally” turns an open decision into a useful default: you can do something, but nobody is being forced to.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does optionally come from?
“Optionally” was formed in English by adding the adverbial suffix “-ly” to “optional.” “Optional” entered English through French and ultimately relates to Latin “optio,” meaning choice, and the Latin verb “opto,” meaning to choose. The same Latin root underlies words such as “option,” “opt,” and “opponent.”
How optionally is actually used
The adverb is common in formal and informal English. It is often used with actions such as “include,” “provide,” “participate,” and “offer”; when a choice between alternatives is being presented, “alternatively” is usually more precise.
Easily confused with optionally
“Optionally” means that doing something is permitted but not required, whereas “alternatively” introduces a different choice between two or more possibilities.