availability

American  

[uh-vey-luh-bil-i-tee] / əˌveɪ ləˈbɪl ɪ ti /

Rarely availableness

noun

1. the fact or quality of being close at hand and ready for use.

   Children learn about the importance of reading and writing through the availability of a wide variety of books.

2. the fact or quality of being readily obtainable.

   Prices are subject to availability of the product at the time of ordering.

3. freedom or willingness to do something.

   League members selected as reserve players shall confirm their availability by signing the list on the notice board.

4. the fact or condition of not being involved in a romantic or sexual relationship and therefore being potentially open to one.

   Overall, he says, a man is more attracted to a woman by the signs of her availability than by her physical appearance.

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Other Word Forms

• interavailability
  noun
• nonavailability
  noun
• unavailability
  noun
• unavailableness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of availability

avail(able) ( def. ) + -ability ( def. )

Explanation

Something with availability is easy to get or to access. If you work at an ice cream shop, the availability of ice cream might make it hard to stick to a diet. The noun availability indicates that something is easily obtainable and ready for use. If you are thinking about renting a certain apartment, you might want to ask about the availability of parking spaces in the neighborhood before you sign a lease. You can use availability and accessibility almost interchangeably, as with this sentence: "The accessibility of the Internet has increased the availability of information."

Related Words

• opportunity
• show
• time