eligible

American  

[el-i-juh-buhl] / ˈɛl ɪ dʒə bəl /

adjective

1. fit or proper to be chosen; worthy of choice; desirable.

   to marry an eligible bachelor.

   Synonyms:

   suitable, fitting

   Antonyms:

   unacceptable, unsuitable, ineligible

2. meeting the stipulated requirements, as to participate, compete, or work; qualified.

3. legally qualified to be elected or appointed to office.

   eligible for the presidency.

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noun

1. a person or thing that is eligible.

   Among the eligibles, only a few are running for office.

eligible British  

/ ˈɛlɪdʒəbəl /

adjective

1. fit, worthy, or qualified, as for an office or function

2. desirable and worthy of being chosen, esp as a spouse

   an eligible young man

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Other Word Forms

• eligibility noun
• eligibleness noun
• eligibly adverb
• noneligible adjective

Etymology

Origin of eligible

First recorded in 1555–65; from Middle French or directly from Late Latin ēligibilis, equivalent to Latin ē- “out of, from” + lig- (combining form of leg-, stem of legere “to choose, select”) + -bilis “capable of, susceptible of, tending to”; see e- ¹, -ible

Explanation

If you get good grades, volunteer at the hospital, play varsity sports, and write for your school paper, you might be eligible for a college scholarship. If you’re eligible for something, you’re either qualified for it or allowed to do it. You’re eligible for unemployment benefits if you’ve recently been laid off, but not if you've never had a job in the first place. You may not be eligible to enter a sweepstakes if you work for the company giving away the money. Neither your dog nor your friend from Australia is eligible to run for president of the United States, but you might be!

Example Sentences

About those two trusts: The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund pays monthly Social Security retirement benefits to eligible retired workers and their families.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

A 2013 referendum among the island's 1,672 eligible voters saw all but three voting to continue as an overseas territory, on a turnout of more than 90%.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

The carmaker is also opening up its underused European factories to Chinese partners seeking to assemble cars in Europe to avoid tariffs and make EVs eligible for purchase subsidies.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

That amount forms the basis of how much money the city is eligible for, and then it can submit expenses for reimbursement after the event.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026

In either of these cases, you were not eligible for their program.

From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau

Related Words

• acceptable
• likely
• qualified
• suitable