What part of the command line adjusts the behavior of a command?

The term "option" in the context of command-line interfaces refers to specific modifiers that adjust the behavior of a command. Options are typically preceded by a hyphen (for example, -v for verbose output) and allow users to specify additional parameters, customize execution, or enable or disable features of the command being run. By using options, you can fine-tune how a command behaves and what output you receive, making it a crucial part of command-line usage.

While arguments are also part of command syntax and can provide input values for the commands, they do not modify command behavior in the way options do. The shell itself provides the environment where commands are executed but does not inherently adjust command behavior. Lastly, the command itself is the main instruction issued but does not encompass additional modifications that can be made through options.