desirable
Americanadjective
-
worth having or wanting; pleasing, excellent, or fine.
a desirable apartment.
-
arousing desire or longing.
a desirable man or woman.
-
advisable; recommendable.
a desirable law.
noun
adjective
-
worthy of desire or recommendation
a desirable residence
-
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.
Desirable office addresses were already spreading beyond the financial district before the pandemic, as downtown experienced a renaissance in housing, art and entertainment on blocks previously shunned by investors and residents.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2023
Desirable though the other properties are, we have not been able to find a single media company or investor willing also to take on Gawker.com.
From Washington Times • Aug. 18, 2016
A total of 1433 people filled out and submitted not only the standard happiness questionnaire but also a series of questions called the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding.
From Science Magazine • Mar. 12, 2015
What happens when the Big Fish-Little Pond Effect runs headlong into the Theory of Desirable Difficulty?
From Slate • Oct. 7, 2013
Desirable boarders would avoid her house in future.
From Our Young Folks at Home and Abroad by Dale, Daphne
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.
