worthwhile

[wurth-hwahyl, -wahyl]

adjective

1. such as to repay one's time, attention, interest, work, trouble, etc..

   a worthwhile book.

   Synonyms: beneficial, rewarding, valuable

worthwhile

/ ˌwɜːθˈwaɪl /

adjective

1. sufficiently important, rewarding, or valuable to justify time or effort spent

Other Word Forms

• worthwhileness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of worthwhile¹

First recorded in 1865–70; worth ¹ + while

Example Sentences

But the insurance money is so good that it makes it worthwhile for rehab centers to pay to recruit patients—often referred to as clients—and fly them across the country.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“Usually it is faster, so that makes it worthwhile,” he said.

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The report said its deployment in Mali wasn’t “a worthwhile investment for any party involved.”

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He needed to win matches or, at the very least, show signs that something worthwhile was being built.

Read more on BBC

The widening of participation in universities over two decades has also increased public debate and scrutiny of whether all universities, or all degrees, deliver worthwhile opportunities to graduates.

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Related Words

• advantageous 
• beneficial 
• constructive 
• excellent 
• good 
• important 
• invaluable 
• justifiable 
• lucrative 
• productive 
• profitable 
• rewarding 
• useful 
• valuable 
• worthy