invaluable

1 of 2

adjective

in·​valu·​able (ˌ)in-ˈval-yə-bəl 

-yə-wə-bəl, 

-yü(-ə)-bəl

: valuable beyond estimation : priceless

providing invaluable assistance

invaluableness noun

invaluably

(ˌ)in-ˈval-yə-blē 

-yə-wə-blē, 

-yü(-ə)-blē

adverb

invaluableness

2 of 2

noun

in·​valuableness

"+

: the quality or state of being invaluable

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of invaluable

Adjective

• valuable
• inestimable
• priceless

Examples of invaluable in a Sentence

Adjective

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

… 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

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

Their help has been invaluable to us.

the list of likely donors proved to be invaluable to our fund-raising efforts

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Knicks must also make a decision on Dillon Jones, who won back-to-back championships in Oklahoma City and New York in his first two NBA seasons and was an invaluable member of head coach Mike Brown’s brain trust off the court. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026

Easy to use and highly portable X-ray devices that can produce digital images that can be scrutinized on a tablet or even a smartphone would be invaluable to rescue teams in remote areas or tight spaces. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 14 July 2026

Another source speculated that as sister to the future king, Charlotte would be an invaluable asset. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 14 July 2026

This makes operando neutron powder diffraction an invaluable tool for tracking structural changes as a battery actually charges and discharges. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

in- entry 1 + value, verb + -able

First Known Use

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for invaluable

• valuable
• evaluable

Kids Definition

invaluable

adjective

in·​valu·​able (ˈ)in-ˈval-yə(-wə)-bəl 

: having value too great to be estimated

invaluably

-blē 

adverb