Optate means to choose or select, often with great care and deliberation. Its antonyms are reject, refuse, and decline. When we reject an option, we give it a negative evaluation and choose to forego it. Refusing the option is an active decision not to accept it, while declining an option can be a more polite or gentle way of expressing rejection. Other antonyms for optate may include deselect, eliminate, or remove - all of which suggest that we are actively deselecting options, rather than choosing them. Ultimately, choosing or opting for a specific option is an important part of decision-making, but so is knowing when to opt-out.
