desirable
Americanadjective
-
worth having or wanting; pleasing, excellent, or fine.
a desirable apartment.
-
arousing desire or longing.
a desirable man or woman.
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advisable; recommendable.
a desirable law.
noun
adjective
-
worthy of desire or recommendation
a desirable residence
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arousing desire, esp sexual desire; attractive
noun
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
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.
But eye-watering secondary market prices are an example of how desirable concerts have become a hot commodity for predatory resellers.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
“Privately set behind gates on one of Longridge Estates’ most desirable streets, this corner-lot residence offers both scale and warmth,” the listing read.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026
An uptick in demand coupled with the city’s notorious lack of housing supply means that fierce bidding wars are breaking out again for single-family homes and condominiums in desirable neighborhoods.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026
Instead of being pushed to less desirable burial spots, individuals with these illnesses were often buried in the same prominent locations as everyone else.
From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026
Even less weight was generally desirable, but only provided that the man had the strength to steer the boat.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
