valuable

1 of 2

adjective

valu·able ˈval-yə-bəl

-yə-wə-bəl,

-yü-ə-

Synonyms of valuable next

: having monetary value

: worth a good price

: having desirable or esteemed characteristics or qualities

valuable friendships

: of great use or service

valuable advice

valuableness noun

valuably

ˈval-yə-blē

-yə-wə-blē

-yü-ə-

adverb

valuable

2 of 2

noun

: a usually personal possession (such as jewelry) of relatively great monetary value

—usually used in plural

Did you know?

invaluable = valuable?

Many people find it confusing that the in- prefix at the beginning of invaluable apparently lacks the meaning "not" found in a number of other words, such as invalid, inarticulate, and insane. In fact, the prefix does indicate negation, but in a way that is not immediately obvious. The original (and current) meaning of invaluable is "valuable beyond estimation"; the word describes something so precious that one cannot assign a price to it. This, clearly, is the opposite of the meaning "having no value; valueless" that the word might seem to carry. Invaluable actually has been recorded in the sense "without value," but such use has been exceedingly rare and is practically nonexistent today.

Examples of valuable in a Sentence

Adjective The watch is extremely valuable. A lot of valuable advice can be found in this book. I learned a valuable lesson. He made many valuable contributions to the field of science. The volunteers provide a valuable service to the community. She is a valuable member of the staff. Clean air is a valuable natural resource that needs to be protected. Please don't waste my time. My time is very valuable.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The riskier home will likely cost more in the long run, making the less risky home relatively more valuable. —

Daryl Fairweather, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 Even if a hunter has made the switch, that muzzle-loader is still valuable. —

Arkansas Game and Fish, arkansasonline.com, 29 Oct. 2024

Noun

Each tag syncs up with Apple devices’ ‘Find My’ app to keep an eye on valuables — and some people have even used them on pet collars. —

Ali Faccenda, People.com, 12 Oct. 2024 McCasland’s filing accused Maw of exerting undue influence over LaDonna and also of selling off the couple’s valuables. —

Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for valuable

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'valuable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

value entry 2 + -able

Noun

noun derivative of valuable entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1775, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of valuable was circa 1576

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Valuable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valuable. Accessed 1 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

valuable

1 of 2 adjective

val·u·able

ˈval-yə(-wə)-bəl

: worth a large amount of money

a valuable necklace

: of great use or service

valuable advice

valuableness noun

valuably

-blē

adverb

valuable

2 of 2 noun

: a possession (as a jewel) of great value

—usually used in plural

Last Updated: 1 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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valuable

adjective

noun

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Synonyms

Examples of valuable in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near valuable

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition