eligible
Americanadjective
-
fit or proper to be chosen; worthy of choice; desirable.
to marry an eligible bachelor.
- Antonyms:
- unacceptable, unsuitable, ineligible
-
meeting the stipulated requirements, as to participate, compete, or work; qualified.
-
legally qualified to be elected or appointed to office.
eligible for the presidency.
noun
adjective
-
fit, worthy, or qualified, as for an office or function
-
desirable and worthy of being chosen, esp as a spouse
an eligible young man
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This year, about 15,000 people were eligible to vote for the Grammys - including musicians, producers, lyricists, and even the people who write album liner notes.
From BBC
Because of her age when she committed the crime, Gonzalez will be eligible for Youthful Offender Parole after serving part of her sentence.
From Los Angeles Times
George would not be eligible to return until the 76ers play host to Chicago on March 25, with only 10 games remaining in the regular season for the Sixers.
From Barron's
At age 62, you may be eligible to collect up to 50% of your ex-spouse’s full retirement age Social Security benefit, provided it is higher than your own.
From MarketWatch
This rule means the person is considered to be filing for all benefits they are eligible for at the same time, such as both a retirement benefit and a spousal benefit.
From MarketWatch
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.
