invaluable

in·valu·able

adjective \(ˌ)in-ˈval-yə-bəl, -yə-wə-bəl, -yü(-ə)-bəl\

Definition of INVALUABLE

: valuable beyond estimation : priceless <providing invaluable assistance>

— in·valu·able·ness noun

— in·valu·ably \-blē\ adverb

Examples of INVALUABLE

1. Their help has been invaluable to us.
2. <the list of likely donors proved to be invaluable to our fund-raising efforts>
3. Unfortunately, though, Sally does not respond to lithium, which has been invaluable for many patients with manic-depressive illness … —Oliver Sacks, New York Review of Books, 25 Sept. 2008
4. I stayed there only a month or so but it was an invaluable experience … : that month's residence provided the inspiration for a novel I wrote much later, Sophie's Choice. —William Styron, This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, (1953) 1982
5. … the scrolls provide an invaluable snapshot of at least one important strain in early Judaism—though they are by no means a complete record of Jewish belief at that time. —Jeremy Lott, Lingua Franca, February 2001

Origin of INVALUABLE

¹in- + value, verb + -able

First Known Use: 1576

Related to INVALUABLE

Synonyms

inestimable, priceless

Related Words

immeasurable, incalculable; costly, dear, expensive, high, precious, premium, pricey (also pricy), superexpensive, valuable

Near Antonyms

good-for-nothing, no-good, nothing, valueless, worthless