Basics

European Option

By Ryan Silk & Lawrence Polatchek · Reviewed April 2026 · Options Trading Glossary

Only exercisable at expiration

What is European Option?

European Option An option that can only be exercised at expiration, not before. Index options (SPX, NDX) are typically European-style. Avoids early assignment risk.

Complete Definition

An option that can only be exercised at expiration, not before. Index options (SPX, NDX) are typically European-style. Avoids early assignment risk.

Related Terms

American Option Exercise Index Options

Written by

ApexVol Research Team

Quantitative options research

All calculations use live ORATS institutional data — the same source used by professional volatility desks.

Technical reviewer

Ryan Silk, ApexVol Founder

Reviewed for technical accuracy

10+ years trading options. Built ApexVol's pricing engine, Greeks model, and IV-rank methodology.

This guide is updated as market conditions and ORATS data change. Last revised 2026-05-12. How we research →

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