valuable

[val-yoo-uh-buhl, -yuh-buhl]

adjective

1. having considerable monetary worth; costing or bringing a high price.

   a valuable painting; a valuable crop.

   Antonyms: worthless

2. having qualities worthy of respect, admiration, or esteem.

   a valuable friend.

   Antonyms: worthless

3. of considerable use, service, or importance.

   valuable information.

   Antonyms: worthless

noun

1. Usually valuables. articles of considerable value, as of personal property, especially those of relatively small size.

   They locked their valuables in the hotel safe.

valuable

/ ˈvæljʊəbəl /

adjective

1. having considerable monetary worth

2. of considerable importance or quality

   a valuable friend

   valuable information

3. able to be valued

noun

1. (usually plural) a valuable article of personal property, esp jewellery

Other Word Forms

• valuableness noun
• valuably adverb
• nonvaluable adjective
• overvaluable adjective
• overvaluableness noun
• overvaluably adverb
• unvaluable adjective
• unvaluably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of valuable¹

First recorded in 1580–90; value (verb) + -able

Synonym Study

Valuable, precious refer to that which has monetary or other value. Valuable applies to whatever has value, but especially to what has considerable monetary value or special usefulness, rarity, etc.: a valuable watch. That which is precious has a very high intrinsic value or is very dear for its own sake, associations, or the like: a precious jewel, friendship.

Example Sentences

“Putting out a feeler in a noncrisis situation to see what kind of reactions you get is a really valuable thing,” she says.

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By studying how this light is polarized, scientists can gain valuable clues about the shape and behavior of the extremely hot gas and debris swirling around black holes at extreme speeds.

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"What makes this especially valuable is that its host star is close by, at just about 18 light-years away. Cosmically speaking, it's practically next door."

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These results suggest new management strategies that could be particularly valuable during peak pollination or honey production, when losing a queen can severely affect a colony.

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His half-century in the first innings was skittish, but valuable.

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Related Words

• beneficial 
• costly 
• expensive 
• helpful 
• important 
• invaluable 
• prized www.thesaurus.com
• profitable 
• relevant 
• scarce 
• treasured www.thesaurus.com
• useful 
• valued 
• worthwhile