Optates is the third-person singular simple present indicative form of the rare English verb optate.
The verb optate means “to choose,” “to settle on,” “to wish for,” or “to desire.” Therefore, optates can be understood as “chooses,” “wishes for,” or “desires,” depending on the context.
For example:
“She optates a quieter life.”
In this sentence, optates means that she wishes for or desires a quieter life.
The word is extremely uncommon in modern everyday English. It has a literary or archaic character, and contemporary writers would generally use words such as chooses, wants, desires, or wishes for instead.
Optates as a Verb Form
English verbs change form depending on the grammatical subject and tense.
With the verb optate, the relevant forms include:
- Optate – base form
- Optates – third-person singular present
- Optating – present participle
- Optated – simple past and past participle
The form optates follows the familiar English pattern in which a verb takes -s when used with a third-person singular subject in the simple present.
For example:
- I optate
- You optate
- We optate
- They optate
- He optates
- She optates
- It optates
Dictionary references specifically identify optates as the third-person singular simple present form of optate.
What Does Optate Mean?
The underlying verb optate has several closely related meanings.
To Choose
The oldest or more literal sense can refer to choosing or selecting something.
In this sense, optate functions similarly to choose or opt for.
For example:
“He optates the second alternative.”
This could mean:
“He chooses the second alternative.”
Historical dictionary sources define optate as “to choose,” including the sense of choosing between alternatives.
To Wish For
Optate can also mean to wish for something.
In this sense, the verb focuses less on making a decision and more on expressing a desire.
For example:
“She optates peace.”
This can be interpreted as:
“She wishes for peace.”
To Desire
Another meaning is to desire something.
This usage describes a person’s preference or aspiration toward something they want.
For example:
“The traveler optates a life of simplicity.”
The sentence means that the traveler desires or wishes for a simple life.
Historical dictionary sources likewise define optate using the meanings “to wish for” and “to desire.”
The Difference Between Optate and Optates
The distinction is grammatical rather than a difference in basic meaning.
Optate is the base form:
“I optate a peaceful existence.”
Optates is used with a third-person singular subject:
“She optates a peaceful existence.”
Both sentences express the same basic idea of wishing for or desiring something. The -s ending simply reflects the grammatical subject.
This is similar to ordinary verb pairs such as:
- choose → chooses
- desire → desires
- wish → wishes
- optate → optates
Examples of Optates
Because optate is rare, examples can sound formal or literary.
Example 1
“He optates a position of greater responsibility.”
Meaning:
“He desires a position of greater responsibility.”
Example 2
“She optates to remain in the countryside.”
Meaning:
“She wishes to remain in the countryside.”
Example 3
“The committee optates the more practical solution.”
Meaning:
“The committee chooses the more practical solution.”
Example 4
“The poet optates freedom from convention.”
Meaning:
“The poet desires freedom from convention.”
These examples illustrate how the meaning changes slightly depending on whether the context emphasizes choice, preference, or desire.
Is Optates Commonly Used?
No. Optates is an extremely uncommon word in modern English.
The base verb optate is described as rare or literary, and some dictionary sources classify it as obsolete or give it a historical usage.
A modern English speaker would normally say:
- chooses
- opts for
- wants
- wishes for
- desires
- prefers
rather than optates.
For example, instead of:
“She optates a different career.”
a contemporary writer would probably say:
“She chooses a different career.”
or:
“She desires a different career.”
The unusual form optates may nevertheless appear in historical texts, literary writing, vocabulary collections, or specialized word lists.
The Origin of Optate
The English verb optate has a Latin origin. It comes from Latin optare, meaning “to choose,” “to wish,” or “to desire.” The English form is related to the Latin past participle optatus.
The same Latin root is associated with other English words connected with wishing, choosing, and desire.
This Latin connection also helps explain the relationship between optate and more familiar English words such as option and optional, although these words developed through different historical pathways.
Optate and the Word “Opt”
Modern English already has the much more familiar verb opt, meaning to choose or select.
For example:
“She opted for the blue dress.”
The meaning is similar to one sense of the older verb optate.
Opt is derived from the same broader Latin root associated with choosing and wishing. However, opt became the normal modern English form, while optate remained rare and literary.
This explains why optates can look unusual to a modern English reader even though its basic meaning is not difficult to understand.
Optates and “Optative”
The word optate is also related in form and meaning to optative, a word associated with expressing a wish or desire.
In grammar, an optative is a mood or grammatical form used to express wishes or hopes in certain languages.
For example, the concept of an optative construction is associated with statements such as:
“May you succeed.”
The connection is based on the broader idea of wishing or desiring.
However, optates itself is simply a verb form of optate and should not be confused with the grammatical term optative.
Optates in Literary English
The rarity of optates gives it a distinctly literary tone.
Writers interested in unusual vocabulary may use archaic or uncommon verbs to create a particular atmosphere. A word such as optates can make a sentence sound formal, historical, poetic, or deliberately old-fashioned.
For example:
“The wanderer optates a distant shore.”
The sentence sounds considerably more literary than:
“The wanderer wants a distant shore.”
However, unusual vocabulary should be used carefully. In ordinary communication, a familiar word is generally clearer.
Optated and Optating
Two other forms of optate are worth recognizing.
Optated
Optated is the simple past and past participle of optate.
For example:
“She optated for a quieter existence.”
This means:
“She chose or desired a quieter existence.”
Optating
Optating is the present participle and gerund form.
For example:
“He is optating for a simpler lifestyle.”
This would mean that he is choosing or expressing a preference for a simpler lifestyle.
Again, these forms are extremely uncommon in contemporary English.
Synonyms for Optates
The best synonym depends on the intended meaning.
When optates means chooses, possible alternatives include:
- Chooses
- Selects
- Picks
- Opts for
- Settles on
When it means wishes for, alternatives include:
- Wishes for
- Hopes for
- Longs for
- Wants
When it means desires, alternatives include:
- Desires
- Wants
- Seeks
- Prefers
- Aspires to
The context determines which modern word provides the closest equivalent.
Why Someone Might Encounter the Word Optates
A person may encounter optates while reading older literature, historical dictionaries, specialized vocabulary lists, or word-game resources.
Because English contains thousands of archaic, obsolete, dialectal, and literary words, some forms that are rarely encountered in ordinary conversation remain documented in dictionaries.
Optates is one such example.
Its unusual appearance can make it seem like a modern technical term, but its history is actually much older.
Optates in Modern English
Although optates is grammatically valid as the third-person singular form of optate, it is not a normal choice for contemporary prose.
A modern writer seeking clarity would generally write:
“He chooses…”
rather than:
“He optates…”
Similarly:
“She desires…”
would normally be preferable to:
“She optates…”
The rare form may still have value when studying historical English vocabulary or understanding an unusual text.
Conclusion
Optates is the third-person singular simple present indicative form of the rare English verb optate. The verb means to choose, settle on, wish for, or desire something.
Thus, optates can mean “chooses,” “wishes for,” or “desires,” depending on the context.
The word ultimately derives from the Latin optare, meaning to choose or wish for, and is related to a family of words associated with choice and desire.
While optates is grammatically formed and historically documented, it is very rare in modern English. Contemporary speakers generally use words such as chooses, opts for, wishes for, or desires instead.
Its main interest today lies in its status as an unusual literary or historical English word and as an example of how older vocabulary continues to survive in dictionaries and specialized language resources.