to opt in: meaning and explanation

If you opt into something or opt in to do something, then you agree to participate in something or do something. e.g. We offer a generous pension scheme which our employees can opt into if they wish.

This phrasal verb is commonly used to describe an official or explicit decision to participate in something. By choosing to participate, you are accepting certain rules or conditions.

When you buy something online for example, you will probably see an option to receive further communications from the company. If you tick this box, then you are opting in and the company is able to send you marketing emails.

We can use the phrasal verb opt out with the reverse meaning, when we choose not to participate or be involved in something. This is often used for things which people are automatically involved in unless they decide to no longer participate. e.g. All new employees are added to the company’s health insurance scheme, unless they decide to opt out. 

Opt-in and opt-out can be used as a nouns, e.g. We have managed to negotiate an opt-out from future projects.

Have a go at this dictation exercise to hear this phrasal verb being used in context – how much can you understand?

Micro-listening

Accent: North America

Source: Planet Money, Billboards. This episode looks at how billboards continue to be the most effective form of advertising. In this section, the speaker is giving an example of the way that new technology allows billboard advertisements to be highly personalised.

. , . , : " Macy's".
Say you up to the third floor mall. If you've share your data, that you're . So when you elevator, the mall billboard : "Shoes are 20% Macy's".
Say you to go up to the third floor of a mall. If you've in to share data, advertisers know that you're for shoes. So when you step that elevator, the mall billboard say: "Shoes are 20% at Macy's".

About the sentence

…say you were to go up to the third floor of a mall…

Say is being used here to introduce a hypothetical situation as an example. e.g. Say you won the lottery. Would you keep working?

Notice the alternative structure for the 2nd conditional (to describe unreal or hypothetical situations in the present): If + subject + were + infinitive. e.g. If you were to spend a little less money on clothes, then you would probably be able to afford a bigger place.

Discussion questions

Write your answers to these questions in the comments section, and I’ll get back to you with some feedback:

  • Have you opted out of anything recently?
  • As of this year, the UK will have an opt-out system for organ donation. What do you think this means?
  • Do you normally opt into or out of marketing emails?

Photo by Aaron Sebastian on Unsplash

Phrasal Verbs

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