Definitions for: Opinion


[n] the reason for a court's judgment (as opposed to the decision itself)
[n] a vague idea in which some confidence is placed; "his impression of her was favorable"; "what are your feelings about the crisis?"; "it strengthened my belief in his sincerity"; "I had a feeling that she was lying"
[n] a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty; "my opinion differs from yours"; "what are your thoughts on Haiti?"
[n] a belief or sentiment shared by most people; the voice of the people; "he asked for a poll of public opinion"
[n] the legal document stating the reasons for a judicial decision; "opinions are usually written by a single judge"
[n] a message expressing a belief about something; "his opinions appeared frequently on the editorial page"



Webster (1913) Definition: O*pin"ion, n. [F., from L. opinio. See Opine.]
1. That which is opined; a notion or conviction founded on
probable evidence; belief stronger than impression, less
strong than positive knowledge; settled judgment in regard
to any point of knowledge or action.

Opinion is when the assent of the understanding is
so far gained by evidence of probability, that it
rather inclines to one persussion than to another,
yet not without a mixture of incertainty or
doubting. --Sir M. Hale.

I can not put off my opinion so easily. --Shak.

2. The judgment or sentiment which the mind forms of persons
or things; estimation.

I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of
people. --Shak.

Friendship . . . gives a man a peculiar right and
claim to the good opinion of his friend. --South.

However, I have no opinion of those things. --Bacon.

3. Favorable estimation; hence, consideration; reputation;
fame; public sentiment or esteem. [Obs.]

Thou hast redeemed thy lost opinion. --Shak.

This gained Agricola much opinion, who . . . had
made such early progress into laborious . . .
enterprises. --Milton.

4. Obstinacy in holding to one's belief or impression;
opiniativeness; conceitedness. [Obs.] --Shak.

5. (Law.) The formal decision, or expression of views, of a
judge, an umpire, a counselor, or other party officially
called upon to consider and decide upon a matter or point
submitted.

To be of opinion, to think; to judge.

To hold opinion with, to agree with. [Obs.] --Shak.

Syn: Sentiment; notion; persuasion; idea; view; estimation.
See Sentiment.


O*pin"ion, v. t.
To opine. [Obs.]

Synonyms: belief, feeling, impression, judgement, judgment, notion, persuasion, popular opinion, public opinion, ruling, sentiment, view, view, vox populi

See Also: Bakke decision, concurring opinion, conjecture, content, dictum, dissenting opinion, effect, eyes, fatwa, guess, hunch, hypothesis, idea, instrument, intuition, judgement, judgement, judgment, judgment, judicial decision, legal document, legal instrument, majority opinion, message, mind, obiter dictum, official document, parti pris, pole, political sympathies, politics, position, preconceived idea, preconceived notion, preconceived opinion, preconception, prepossession, presence, side, speculation, subject matter, substance, supposition, surmisal, surmise, suspicion, thought

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