sentaku

Sentaku is a Japanese noun most commonly written 選択, meaning "choice" or "selection." It denotes the act of choosing or the chosen option and is used in both everyday language and formal discourse. Common phrases include 選択する (sentaku suru, to make a choice), 選択肢 (sentakushi, options), and 選択的 (sentakuteki, selective). In policy, legal, and academic writing it appears in discussions of options, criteria, and decision-making processes, for example 最適な選択 (saitekina sentaku, the best choice) or 自由選択 (jiyū sentaku, free choice).

Etymology: The term is formed from the kanji 選 "to select" and 定 "to determine." It originated from Chinese usage and has been integrated into Japanese with the current sense of "choice" or "selection."

Other readings and meanings: The homograph 洗濯, read sentaku, means "laundry" and is unrelated semantically; context and furigana distinguish. The verb form is 選ぶ (erabu), meaning "to choose," which is the corresponding verb to the noun 選択.

See also: 選択, 選択肢, 洗濯.