desirable
Americanadjective
-
worth having or wanting; pleasing, excellent, or fine.
a desirable apartment.
-
arousing desire or longing.
a desirable man or woman.
-
advisable; recommendable.
a desirable law.
noun
adjective
-
worthy of desire or recommendation
a desirable residence
-
arousing desire, esp sexual desire; attractive
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of desirable
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French; equivalent to desire + -able
Explanation
If something is desirable it is worthy, so many people might want it. If you're hoping for one of the most desirable roles in a play, you have to have an excellent audition. Popular. Attractive. In demand. Sought-after. All of these describe things that are desirable. After all, it has at its base the word desire, which describes wanting. The root of desirable is the Latin word desiderare, which means "long for, wish for, demand, or expect." It may have originated from the phrase de sidere, "from the stars."
Vocabulary lists containing desirable
List 4
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List 3
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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.
Skills that were ordinary in their homeland could have become highly specialized and desirable once they moved south.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
But only three of those 52 roles have been filled by one of the most desirable classes of candidates: assistant coaches on teams that have just won the Super Bowl.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
But sometimes, the results aren’t desirable even when people try to follow the rules.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
“It was what the data said,” Volsche says, noting that the only segment in their research that truly found cat dads as more desirable were, well, cat ladies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
“In that case,” she said, sharply, “I need facts. Exactly what advantage does Hyper Base derive from these modified robots? What factor made them desirable, general?”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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.
