Optioned

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have selected or acquired a particular possibility for future consideration, thereby establishing it as a viable alternative option for further development or execution
2. Obtained the legal right to use or develop a specific property or intellectual work at a later time
3. Reserved the ability to choose or act on a particular asset or material in the future by making a formal agreement

Etymology: "Optioned" is the past tense and past participle of "option," so it inherits its history. The verb "option" carries the sense of securing the right to buy or develop something, as when a studio secures the rights to a novel, usually by paying for an exclusive window of time before committing to the full purchase. The noun behind it comes from French "option," which in turn descends from Latin "optio," meaning "choice" or "act of choosing." That Latin noun grew from the verb "optare," "to choose, select," and the English word "opt" comes from the same root, with the suffix "-ion" marking the noun form. A choice, in other words, was the original core of the idea. The modern sense of holding a reserved claim on something grows naturally from that notion of choosing. Whoever holds the option has chosen to keep a door open, leaving the decision for later.

Synonyms: selected, chosen, picked

Antonyms: rejected, discarded