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

Explanation

If you get good grades, volunteer at the hospital, play varsity sports, and write for your school paper, you might be eligible for a college scholarship. If you’re eligible for something, you’re either qualified for it or allowed to do it. You’re eligible for unemployment benefits if you’ve recently been laid off, but not if you've never had a job in the first place. You may not be eligible to enter a sweepstakes if you work for the company giving away the money. Neither your dog nor your friend from Australia is eligible to run for president of the United States, but you might be!

Example Sentences

Only 1.2 million, or about a quarter, of them qualify for the $1,000 federal seed contribution for eligible children.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

The early-claiming penalty she incurred by filing for her own benefits so soon after becoming eligible will carry over when the Social Security Administration calculates her spousal benefit.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

The first ever Brits to be inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were The Beatles in 1988, the first year they were eligible.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

The company said Connolly will be eligible to receive certain separation benefits in connection with a termination without cause.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

I and my year—not “my generation” for destiny now cut too finely for that old phrase—I and those of my year were preeminently eligible for that.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

Related Words

• acceptable
• likely
• qualified
• suitable