Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - opinion

 noun  Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin ~-, opinio, from opinari  Date: 14th century  1.  a. a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter  b. approval, esteem  2.  a. belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive knowledge  b. a generally held view  3.  a. a formal expression of judgment or advice by an expert  b. the formal expression (as by a judge, court, or referee) of the legal reasons and principles upon which a legal decision is based  • ~ed adjective Synonyms:  ~, view, belief, conviction, persuasion, sentiment mean a judgment one holds as true. ~ implies a conclusion thought out yet open to dispute each expert seemed to have a different ~. view suggests a subjective ~ very assertive in stating his views. belief implies often deliberate acceptance and intellectual assent a firm belief in her party's platform. conviction applies to a firmly and seriously held belief the conviction that animal life is as sacred as human. persuasion suggests a belief grounded on assurance (as by evidence) of its truth was of the persuasion that everything changes. sentiment suggests a settled ~ reflective of one's feelings her feminist sentiments are well-known.