coveted
Americanadjective
-
wrongfully or inordinately desired.
Pizarro led a party of conquistadores in an attempt to discover El Dorado—the source of the coveted gold of the Incas.
-
highly or eagerly wished for.
The Green Building Council's gold certification is a coveted prize for sustainable building design.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of coveted
Explanation
Coveted means "in demand" or "desired." If the most coveted seat on the bus for you is the one right next to the bathroom, then you shouldn’t have any problem getting it because most people don't want it. Coveted comes from the Latin cupiditas, meaning "passionate desire, eagerness, ambition." Cupid isn't always involved, though — coveted is another way of saying "sought after." The poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox said, “If you are seeking health, wealth, usefulness, skill in any direction, there is nothing and no one who can hinder your attainment of the coveted boon, if you are willing to work and wait." So get to work for all that coveted health and wealth!
Vocabulary lists containing coveted
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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The Kite Runner
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This Week in Words: September 29 - October 5, 2018
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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.
Coveted for its vast mineral resources, the central African country is seeing sectors of the economy other than mining being crowded out, the FAO said.
From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025
Coveted free agent Breanna Stewart, who has narrowed her choices to a few teams including New York, started a social media campaign to try to help get chartered flights for the league.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 31, 2023
From Ghetto Gastro’s ‘Black Power Kitchen’ to Cabi’s Original Trio, Coveted knows what you need to feel whole.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2022
Coveted pastries and desserts like pistachio loaf cakes, matcha blueberry tartelettes and — one of Oprah's favorite things — the nutty chocolate chip cookies were once only available at the café's 11 locations.
From Salon • Nov. 11, 2021
Boast that she be Coveted, hankered, spat on?
From Helen Redeemed and Other Poems by Hewlett, Maurice Henry
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.
