desirable

American  

[dih-zahyuhr-uh-buhl] / dɪˈzaɪər ə bəl /

adjective

1. worth having or wanting; pleasing, excellent, or fine.

   a desirable apartment.

2. arousing desire or longing.

   a desirable man or woman.

3. advisable; recommendable.

   a desirable law.

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noun

1. a person or thing that is desirable.

desirable British  

/ dɪˈzaɪərəbəl /

adjective

1. worthy of desire or recommendation

   a desirable residence

2. arousing desire, esp sexual desire; attractive

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noun

1. a person or thing that is the object of desire

Other Word Forms

• desirability noun
• desirableness noun
• desirably adverb

Etymology

Origin of desirable

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French; equivalent to desire + -able

Example Sentences

Although New Zealand ranks highly in lists of the most desirable places in the world to live and work, in recent years the record numbers of arrivals have been matched by departures.

From Barron's

I’m sure private companies would also prefer to avoid competition in pricing their goods and services, but for consumers, that race is desirable.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The one-off deals are always going to be desirable, they’re just not readily available,” said Mark Howard, chief operating officer at Time, which has a licensing deal with OpenAI.

From The Wall Street Journal

Beyond a desirable work environment, "the young, dynamic people that tech companies are trying to hire" are already here, Samuels adds.

From Barron's

That disconnect is a prime example of the difference between you and a professional fund manager: What sounds risky and unnecessary is desirable in certain corners of finance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• acceptable
• beneficial
• enviable
• expedient
• gratifying
• helpful
• preferable
• profitable
• useful
• worthwhile