opines

Opines is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb opine. To opine is to express an opinion or belief about a matter. The use of opines typically signals that the statement is a judgment or interpretation rather than a statement of fact, and it is common in formal, analytical, or editorial writing.

Etymology and form: The verb opine originates from Middle English, via Old French opiner, from Latin opinari meaning “to think, suppose.” The base form opine, with inflections including opines (he/she/it opines), opining (present participle), and opined (past tense and past participle), is standard in English.

Usage notes: Opine is more formal than verbs like think, believe, or feel. It is often used when attributing a viewpoint to someone else or presenting a reasoned assessment. It can take a that-clause, as in “The analyst opines that the policy will fail,” or a prepositional object such as opine on/about the topic. In legal, academic, or journalistic contexts, opine helps distinguish opinion from established fact.

Examples: The commentator opines that the proposal will improve efficiency. The court opined that the contract was unenforceable. Some scholars opine that the theory has limitations.

Variants and related terms: Opine, opines, opining, and opined are all standard inflections. Related concepts include opinion, opinion piece, and speculate or conjecture, which convey related but distinct nuances of belief or hypothesis.