opinion

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A democracy means a government by public opinion, and this opinion is the result of the co-operative impulse or community feeling of the people of a free country--a people who are given the opportunity to think for themselves, and are not thought for by a divinely constituted government.

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Definitions (31)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (6)

  1. noun A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof: "The world is not run by thought, nor by imagination, but by opinion” (Elizabeth Drew).
  2. noun A judgment based on special knowledge and given by an expert: a medical opinion.
  3. noun A judgment or estimation of the merit of a person or thing: has a low opinion of braggarts.

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Examples (50)

  • I have spoken when place and time admitted, when my opinion was asked, when I was called to your side and was made your counsellor. —  Apologia Pro Vita Sua
  • Define Sir Roger's peculiar humor, and contrast it with that of some other character in the Sir Roger de Coverley Papers GROUP III 1 What elements in the character of Godfrey Cass account for his relief at his wife's death and his failure to care for his child also for his confession to Nancy and resolve to adopt Eppie 2 Tell the story of the caskets in The Merchant of Venice 3 Which in your opinion is the superior character, Cassius or Antony? —  Teachers' Outlines for Studies in English Based on the Requirements for Admission to College
  • The gentleman, if his opinion were asked, was "a scaly varmint." —  The Mark Of Cain
  • Why he should have cared so much for my opinion is a mystery I can't elucidate; to understand my little story, you must simply swallow it. —  The Path Of Duty
  • This opinion is as absurd as that of Selden:--but when one party will not grant enough, the other always assumes too much. —  Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 1 (of 3)
 

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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

idea ·  character ·  judgment ·  belief ·  principle ·  fact ·  mind ·  authority ·  action ·  statement

Used in the same contextWord Family

opinion:   opinions
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, from Old French, from Latin opīniō, opīniōn-, from opīnārī, to think.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Middle English opinion, opynyoun, oppinyon, from Old French F. opinion = Spanish opinion = Portuguese opinião = Italian opinione, oppinione, oppenione, from Latin opinio(n-), supposition, conjecture, opinion, from opinari, suppose, opine: see opine.
  2. from opinion, n.
 

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/əˈpɪnyən/
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