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invaluable = valuable?
Many people find it confusing that the in- prefix at the beginning of invaluable apparently lacks the meaning "not" found in a number of other words, such as invalid, inarticulate, and insane. In fact, the prefix does indicate negation, but in a way that is not immediately obvious. The original (and current) meaning of invaluable is "valuable beyond estimation"; the word describes something so precious that one cannot assign a price to it. This, clearly, is the opposite of the meaning "having no value; valueless" that the word might seem to carry. Invaluable actually has been recorded in the sense "without value," but such use has been exceedingly rare and is practically nonexistent today.
Examples of valuable in a Sentence
Jackie Charniga, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Like college coaches, social media gurus work their way through the ranks of the industry, and in an age where all eyeballs can attract revenues and sponsorships and ultimately, more money in the pockets of players and recruits in a competitive marketplace, Lazarus and his colleagues are valuable.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
Josh Max, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Hundreds of people reportedly stormed finance minister Sri Mulyani’s residence in South Tangerang, forcing their way in and taking away valuables.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for valuable
Cite this Entry
“Valuable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valuable. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
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