coveted

adjective

cov·​et·​ed ˈkə-və-təd 

: earnestly wished for or sought after

a coveted prize/honor

The Nobel prizes, the most coveted of international awards, offer celebrity and money to the winners of the priority race in the sciences.

—Daniel J. Boorstin

Her clothing has that coveted I-look-good-without-any-effort look.

—Sita Bhaumik

Univision, which is based in Los Angeles and is the nation's largest Spanish-language network, for the first time drew more prime-time viewers in the coveted 18-34 age group than all the other broadcast networks during some weeks this summer.

—Mireya Navarro

But those days were over when, seeking new challenges, she signed on as Ralph Lauren's personal chef, a cushy, coveted position that would (occasionally) call upon her to bake.

—Kim Steckler

Book hunters comb auction lists, antiquarian bookstores and a slew of online shops in search of coveted editions.

—Nicole Sforza

Examples of coveted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The south pole is highly coveted because it is believed to be home to stores of water ice, which can be converted to rocket fuel or drinking water. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 30 June 2026

Offensive and defensive systems will take shape, position battles will work themselves out, and players will lock up highly coveted roster spots. — Mike Jones, New York Times, 29 June 2026

South Florida students continued to show gains in this year’s standardized tests, a good sign that local districts will be able to maintain their coveted A grade. — Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2026

And in honor of the Fourth of July weekend, so many coveted styles are on sale, with some even double discounted with checkout code SAVE. — Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 3 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined above