Opine

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ə(ʊ)ˈpaɪn/

Definitions

1. To state or express a personal belief or judgment about something
2. To offer a view or thought as one's informed opinion
3. To articulate a conclusion or standpoint on a subject based on consideration

Etymology: The verb "opine" arrived in English through French, but its Latin ancestor "opinari" was once a fairly sober word for holding a belief after weighing things up. Its root sits in a family of words about choosing and desiring: "optare" meant to choose or wish for, which gave English "opt" and "optate." An opinion, in other words, began as something closer to a considered choice than a casual guess. The Latin verb itself is thought to descend from an older adjective that survives mostly in negated forms. "Inopinus" meant "unexpected," and "nec-opinus" meant "not expecting," so the underlying idea was of anticipating or reckoning something in advance. Middle French took the word as "opiner," and English borrowed it later, using it in a formal, slightly stiff register for stating a view.

Synonyms: express, state, assert

Antonyms: withhold, suppress