eligible

American  

[el-i-juh-buhl] / ˈɛl ɪ dʒə bəl /

adjective

1. fit or proper to be chosen; worthy of choice; desirable.

   to marry an eligible bachelor.

   Synonyms:

   suitable, fitting

   Antonyms:

   unacceptable, unsuitable, ineligible

2. meeting the stipulated requirements, as to participate, compete, or work; qualified.

3. legally qualified to be elected or appointed to office.

   eligible for the presidency.

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noun

1. a person or thing that is eligible.

   Among the eligibles, only a few are running for office.

eligible British  

/ ˈɛlɪdʒəbəl /

adjective

1. fit, worthy, or qualified, as for an office or function

2. desirable and worthy of being chosen, esp as a spouse

   an eligible young man

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Other Word Forms

• eligibility noun
• eligibleness noun
• eligibly adverb
• noneligible adjective

Etymology

Origin of eligible

First recorded in 1555–65; from Middle French or directly from Late Latin ēligibilis, equivalent to Latin ē- “out of, from” + lig- (combining form of leg-, stem of legere “to choose, select”) + -bilis “capable of, susceptible of, tending to”; e- ¹, -ible

Example Sentences

Notably missing from the announcement is what makes boats eligible for coverage.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

WGA West confirmed employees who receive health coverage on a month-to-month basis are no longer eligible for it as of April 1.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The funding forms part of £3.8m allocated by the UK government on 16 March and it's estimated that between 20,000 to 25,000 households will be eligible in Wales.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Mr. Woods, who turned 50 in December, is now eligible for PGA Tour Champions, the senior tour, and the pressure to do so for ratings must be significant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Since we were not eligible for armed conflict beyond marching with wooden guns, our mother’s war seemed to justify us.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• acceptable
• likely
• qualified
• suitable