available

American  

[uh-vey-luh-buhl] / əˈveɪ lə bəl /

adjective

1. suitable or ready for use; of use or service; at hand.

   I used whatever tools were available.

   Synonyms:

   handy, usable, accessible

2. readily obtainable; accessible.

   available resources.

3. (of a person) free or willing to do something; not occupied.

   I’m sorry, Mrs. Clarke is not available to speak with you right now.

4. not involved in a romantic or sexual relationship; single.

   Why would you tell Rachel that I’m available when you know how serious I am about Tina?

5. Archaic.

   1. efficacious, advantageous, or profitable.

   2. legally valid.

---

available British  

/ əˈveɪləbəl /

adjective

1. obtainable or accessible; capable of being made use of; at hand

2. derogatory politics suitable for public office, usually as a result of having an inoffensive character

   Smith was a particularly available candidate

---

Other Word Forms

• availability noun
• availableness noun
• availably adverb
• interavailable adjective
• unavailable adjective
• unavailableness noun
• unavailably adverb

Etymology

Origin of available

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; see origin at avail, -able

Explanation

"Is this seat available?" "Are you available, or are you married?" As you can tell from these two examples, available means "not busy or not taken." Available can be used to describe anything that's ready to be used like a restaurant table or a theater seat. It can also be used to describe a person who is not involved in a romantic relationship: "Available singles use online dating websites." When you use a resource, like the school library, you can say that you "avail yourself to the research opportunities made available to students." No matter how you slice it, available means free for the taking.

Example Sentences

Details of what burglars stole from that home were not yet available Sunday morning.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

There are many to choose from, though the collaborations available at Walmart, Target, Old Navy and Amazon skew more moviegoer than movie star, including special-edition “Devil Wears Prada 2” tweezers from Tweezerman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

He prefers using pre-peeled garlic, which is readily available in bulk at Costco, and storing it in a Ziploc bag before placing it in the freezer.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

When he got to Heathrow Airport, though, he learned that he’d arrived too late to catch his next flight and there wouldn’t be another one available for two more days.

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026

The United States, meanwhile, had become a major supplier of arms to the Allies—by this time, because of the blockade of German ports, the only available buyers.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• accessible
• applicable
• convenient
• feasible
• free
• handy
• possible
• usable
• vacant