invaluable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of invaluable
First recorded in 1570–80; in- 3 + valuable, in obsolete sense “capable of valuation”
Explanation
If you're robbed, much of what is stolen can be replaced. All you need is the cash value of what was lost. But some things––family photos, heirloom jewelry––are invaluable, meaning extremely valuable, or priceless. At first glance, you would think that invaluable means "not valuable." But to understand its meaning, you'd have to know that it was formed from the prefix in- "not" plus the verb value, plus the suffix –able "able to be." So something invaluable has such great value that its value can't be calculated.
Vocabulary lists containing invaluable
Mandela's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Address
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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The Magic Fish
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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.
He said his experience presenting live television proved invaluable during the audition.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Until the end, he remained incisive in his analysis, generous with his time, and an invaluable resource, for those reporters who came after him.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Talking about their feelings and experiences is "invaluable for processing this entire complicated situation."
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
But as the Claude-enabled translation provided by Bill Bishop’s invaluable Sinocism newsletter makes clear, something important is happening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Laundry workers existed at the bottom of the war’s great pyramid, invisible and invaluable at the same time.
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.
