Origin: Latin suffix -al
Optional has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
Something that is not compulsory, especially part of an academic course.
"The professor announced that the advanced reading list was optional for students who had already completed the core modules."
In plain English: An optional item is something you can choose to include or leave out without it being required.
"The optional is a feature that can be added to the car package for an extra fee."
Usage: Use "optional" only rarely as a noun to refer to a specific class or unit within a curriculum that students may choose to take. In most cases, it functions better as an adjective describing something non-compulsory rather than standing alone as a subject name.
possible but not necessary; left to personal choice
"You can bring a gift for the baby shower, but it's completely optional since everyone else has already pooled their money together."
Not compulsory; left to personal choice; elective.
"The boss made the annual retreat optional, so most of us decided to stay home and work from our desks."
In plain English: Optional means something you can choose to do or not do without any negative consequences.
"Wearing a tie is optional for the interview."
Usage: Use "optional" to describe something that you can choose to do or have but are not required to. It indicates that a person has the freedom to decide whether to participate without facing a penalty for refusal.
The word optional comes from combining the noun option with the suffix -al. It entered English to mean something that can be chosen or left to one's discretion.