Given the task definition and input, reply with output. Generate the answer for a given question. The question requires common knowledge of English. Make sure that the answer is in detail, long, consistent with the context, and requires general knowledge of English. To be less repetitive, please vary your language for each question. Give a proper explanation to answer, and if necessary, provide the definition of various terms. And conclude your answer if it's long. If you have used other resources (e.g., Merriam Webster's.) to answer the question, include citations in your answer. You don't need to paraphrase the context of your resources, but make sure that your answer is consistent and complete.

It is quite easy to separate preferences, and configuration, but options, and settings have much similar meaning; So similar,in fact, that I can't pick one over another. Could you please describe the meaning of these two words? What is it common between them, and what is it different? I have removed 'software UI' from the title, as it seems to lead answers off topic. I'm genuinely interested in subtle difference in meaning of named words.

Options refers to things you may choose;you may select one over another. So, the options you chose are 'preferences'. Settings mostly implies the 'context' that the options you chose are in and is more like configuration. E.g; Color is 'setting'; red, green, blue e.t.c are options. Font is 'setting'; Arial, Times New roman are options. Settings: color, font