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Meaning & use

chose

verb, noun·Everyday

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UK/tʃəʊz/
US/tʃoʊz/

“chose” is a form of “choose”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. verbtransitive or intransitive

    Past tense of choose: picked one thing or person from several possibilities after thinking about it.

    Grammar: Takes an object (chose a book) or stands alone with an infinitive (chose to stay).

    Patterns

    • chose something
    • chose to do something
    • chose between A and B

    She chose the blue jacket over the red one.

    We chose to walk home instead of waiting for the bus.

    Out of ten applicants, they chose Maria.

  2. nouncountablelegaltechnical

    In law, a movable thing or a right that a person owns, especially in the term chose in action.

    Grammar: Appears almost only in legal terms: chose in action, chose in possession.

    Patterns

    • chose in action
    • chose in possession

    A debt owed to you is a chose in action, because you must sue to collect it.

    Lawyers distinguish a chose in possession, such as a watch, from a right to be paid.

    The court treated the unpaid invoice as a chose in action.

Common combinations

chose wisely
He chose wisely and saved most of his savings.
chose to stay
Even in the storm, the captain chose to stay at the helm.
chose between
She chose between two job offers after a long weekend.
chose carefully
They chose carefully before signing the lease.
chose not to
He chose not to reply to the message.

Synonyms and how they differ

selected
Selected suggests picking from a set by criteria, while chose is simpler and more personal.
picked
Picked is more casual and can imply a quick decision, while chose often implies some thought.
opted
Opted is followed by for or to and sounds more formal, while chose can take a direct object.
elected
Elected usually refers to voting for a person, whereas chose is much broader.

Opposites

rejectedrefused

Word family

choose verb
the base form; to pick
chosen verb
past participle, as in had chosen
choice noun
the act or right of picking, or the thing picked
choosy adjective
careful and hard to please when picking

Commonly confused: chose or chosen? chose or choice?

chose vs chosen

Chose is the simple past (I chose it), while chosen is the participle used after have or be (I have chosen it).

chose vs choice

Choice is a noun, not a verb: she made a good choice, but she chose well.

Practice

Yesterday I ___ the cheaper option.

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