coveted
Americanadjective
-
wrongfully or inordinately desired.
Pizarro led a party of conquistadores in an attempt to discover El Dorado—the source of the coveted gold of the Incas.
-
highly or eagerly wished for.
The Green Building Council's gold certification is a coveted prize for sustainable building design.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of coveted
Explanation
Coveted means "in demand" or "desired." If the most coveted seat on the bus for you is the one right next to the bathroom, then you shouldn’t have any problem getting it because most people don't want it. Coveted comes from the Latin cupiditas, meaning "passionate desire, eagerness, ambition." Cupid isn't always involved, though — coveted is another way of saying "sought after." The poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox said, “If you are seeking health, wealth, usefulness, skill in any direction, there is nothing and no one who can hinder your attainment of the coveted boon, if you are willing to work and wait." So get to work for all that coveted health and wealth!
Vocabulary lists containing coveted
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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The Kite Runner
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This Week in Words: September 29 - October 5, 2018
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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.
The studio skipped last year's event, but will be back at the coveted Hall H on Saturday to promote "Avengers: Doomsday," which is slated to premiere in December.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
For the Trump VIPs, being seen by both the packed rows of reporters with coveted courtroom passes and Trump himself was a key part of the ritual.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
History has been scripted, records broken and heroes old and new made their mark at football's most coveted tournament.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The Ukrainian city of Odesa is many things at once: a seaside resort, a center of culture and an economic powerhouse coveted by the Kremlin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
After word had gotten out that the coveted Manchurian Fire Throwers were for sale, Jinx and Ned knew they could sell as many as they could make.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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.
