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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
Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 25 July 2025
Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson’s decision came at the end of a two-day hearing in which forensic psychologists dueled over Barahona’s competency and opined on his ability to help his defense team at trial.
—Miami Herald, 23 July 2025
But neither court has yet opined on California’s second major claim: that by assisting immigration raids, troops under Trump’s command violated the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which forbids soldiers from enforcing civilian laws.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
Overseeing name, image and likeness payments was previously the responsibility of the NCAA, which coaches and others have opined did little to enforce rules or investigate potential violations.
—Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 30 June 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 7 Aug. 2025.
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