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Synonyms

available

American  
[uh-vey-luh-buhl] / əˈveɪ lə bəl /

adjective

  1. suitable or ready for use; of use or service; at hand.

    I used whatever tools were available.

    Synonyms:
    handy, usable, accessible
  2. readily obtainable; accessible.

    available resources.

  3. (of a person) free or willing to do something; not occupied.

    I’m sorry, Mrs. Clarke is not available to speak with you right now.

  4. not involved in a romantic or sexual relationship; single.

    Why would you tell Rachel that I’m available when you know how serious I am about Tina?

  5. Archaic.

    1. efficacious, advantageous, or profitable.

    2. legally valid.


available British  
/ əˈveɪləbəl /

adjective

  1. obtainable or accessible; capable of being made use of; at hand

  2. derogatory politics suitable for public office, usually as a result of having an inoffensive character

    Smith was a particularly available candidate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of available

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; see origin at avail, -able

Explanation

"Is this seat available?" "Are you available, or are you married?" As you can tell from these two examples, available means "not busy or not taken." Available can be used to describe anything that's ready to be used like a restaurant table or a theater seat. It can also be used to describe a person who is not involved in a romantic relationship: "Available singles use online dating websites." When you use a resource, like the school library, you can say that you "avail yourself to the research opportunities made available to students." No matter how you slice it, available means free for the taking.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing available

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Well, anyway, letting them know at every stage that Martínez is AVAILABLE.

From The Guardian • May 25, 2012

"He's really great and I love him and don't want to lose him but HE IS AVAILABLE" is the message broadcast daily from Château Whelan.

From The Guardian • May 25, 2012

MAKER: Jamdat AVAILABLE: AT&T Wireless and Cingular PRICE: $4.99 Bassmaster Legendary Lunkers Even if you've never held a fishing rod in your life, it's easy to get hooked on this game.

From Time Magazine Archive

MAKER: Mforma AVAILABLE: All but Nextel PRICE: About $5 to $6 Sports Pool No need to worry about elbow room with this slickly designed game.

From Time Magazine Archive

The door was boarded-up, and a hand-painted sign read: rooms—storage AVAILABLE.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

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