el·i·gi·ble
ˈe-lə-jə-bəl 
1
a
: qualified to participate or be chosen
eligible to retire
b
: permitted under football rules to catch a forward pass
2
: worthy of being chosen
an eligible young bachelor
plural eligibles
: a person or thing that is qualified or permitted to do or be something : one that is eligible for something
As with the College of Cardinals and the papacy, where every cardinal, in theory, is eligible to be Pope but the number of real eligibles is substantially smaller, so with the American Presidency.—
Stephen R. Graubard
Stephen R. Graubard… when she entered life, beautiful, accomplished, and an heiress, she had, of course, all the eligibles … of the other sex sighing at her feet …—Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher StoweExamples of eligible in a Sentence
Adjective
… more than six years since the fall of the Taliban, fewer than 30% of eligible girls are enrolled in schools, and the infrastructure is so poor that only a tiny fraction are likely to get the education they need to enjoy the fruits of emancipation.
—Aryn Baker, Time, 28 Jan. 2008
She wanted to start her own family. She was twenty-six and without prospects. At church her mother prayed, and at Crystal Nail, where she lacquered and lengthened, her mother asked customers about eligible young men. She kept Li En's graduation photo mounted in the right corner of her mirror, so that every customer would see her daughter, diploma in hand.
—Max Apple, Atlantic, November 2003
I'd like to join but I'm not eligible yet.
Aryn Baker, Time, 28 Jan. 2008
She wanted to start her own family. She was twenty-six and without prospects. At church her mother prayed, and at Crystal Nail, where she lacquered and lengthened, her mother asked customers about eligible young men. She kept Li En's graduation photo mounted in the right corner of her mirror, so that every customer would see her daughter, diploma in hand.
—Max Apple, Atlantic, November 2003
I'd like to join but I'm not eligible yet.
Recent Examples on the WebUSA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Trump would be eligible to receive 90% of those—or 36 million.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for eligible 
Adjective
While tips can be anonymous, individuals will need to share their name and contact information to be eligible for the reward.
—USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Trump would be eligible to receive 90% of those—or 36 million.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for eligible
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eligible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near eligible
Cite this Entry
“Eligible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eligible. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
eligible
adjective
el·i·gi·ble
ˈel-ə-jə-bəl
: qualified to be chosen or to participate
eligible to vote
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