desirable
Americanadjective
-
worth having or wanting; pleasing, excellent, or fine.
a desirable apartment.
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arousing desire or longing.
a desirable man or woman.
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advisable; recommendable.
a desirable law.
noun
adjective
-
worthy of desire or recommendation
a desirable residence
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arousing desire, esp sexual desire; attractive
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of desirable
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French; equivalent to desire + -able
Explanation
If something is desirable it is worthy, so many people might want it. If you're hoping for one of the most desirable roles in a play, you have to have an excellent audition. Popular. Attractive. In demand. Sought-after. All of these describe things that are desirable. After all, it has at its base the word desire, which describes wanting. The root of desirable is the Latin word desiderare, which means "long for, wish for, demand, or expect." It may have originated from the phrase de sidere, "from the stars."
Vocabulary lists containing desirable
List 4
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List 3
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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.
A vast open space, where some 50 of Be’eri’s most desirable houses stood, is an empty expanse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Skills that were ordinary in their homeland could have become highly specialized and desirable once they moved south.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
“Because of that, it makes them desirable and interesting. And of course, once it goes on an auction site like eBay, it’s very easy for that price to go up.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
That won't happen quickly - unless it is decided by F1 and the FIA that it is a desirable outcome to change the rules.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Aberdeen Gardens, the sprawling development built on former Hampton Institute farmland, was another desirable location, its wide streets with grassy medians and surrounding forests drawing many active-duty and retired military families.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
