valuable

adjective

valu·able | \ ˈval-yə-bəl

, -yə-wə-bəl, -yü-ə-

Definition of valuable

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : having monetary value

b : worth a good price

2a : having desirable or esteemed characteristics or qualities valuable friendships

b : of great use or service valuable advice

valuable

noun

Definition of valuable (Entry 2 of 2)

: a usually personal possession (such as jewelry) of relatively great monetary value —usually used in plural

Other Words from valuable Synonyms & Antonyms invaluable = valuable? More Example Sentences Learn More about valuable

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Synonyms & Antonyms for valuable

Synonyms: Adjective

big-ticket, costly, dear, expensive, extravagant, high, high-end, high-ticket, precious, premium, priceless, pricey (also pricy), spendy [chiefly Northwest], ultraexpensive

Antonyms: Adjective

cheap, inexpensive

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

Adjective

The watch is extremely valuable. A lot of valuable advice can be found in this book. I learned a valuable lesson. He made many valuable contributions to the field of science. The volunteers provide a valuable service to the community. She is a valuable member of the staff. Clean air is a valuable natural resource that needs to be protected. Please don't waste my time. My time is very valuable.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

But the perennial Pro Bowler could be far more valuable as a trade chip for Washington, which doesn't appear anywhere close to contending. — Nate Davis, USA TODAY, "2019 NFL season: 100 names to know as Week 1 kicks off," 8 Sep. 2019 The art world has all these, not just artists but people that hype the artists and make their art more valuable than other artists. — Ariston Anderson, The Hollywood Reporter, "Venice: Mick Jagger, Donald Sutherland Condemn Trump, Boris Johnson for “Ruining the World”," 7 Sep. 2019 It’s more valuable than winning the lottery or something. — Fox News, "Texas police officer thanks woman for surprise, emotional note following Odessa shooting," 7 Sep. 2019 But unlike with Mack - a far more valuable player by almost any measure, including age, position and personality - Gruden did backflips to try to placate Brown. — Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, "Was Antonio Brown saga a ploy? A Patriots game? Or just Raiders as usual?," 7 Sep. 2019 The art world has all these, not just artists but people that hype the artists and make their art more valuable than other artists. — Ariston Anderson, Billboard, "Venice: Mick Jagger, Donald Sutherland Condemn Trump, Boris Johnson for 'Ruining the World'," 7 Sep. 2019 Another coach talked about having no ice machine, which might be more valuable to a football team than a bag of footballs. — Los Angeles Times, "San Fernando rolls to a 37-7 win against Franklin in City Section matchup," 6 Sep. 2019 The most obvious resolution will come in a few decades, when the heat gets too much, crops fail, clean water becomes more valuable than oil, and the things you were warned about start to kill a lot of people. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, "The Amazon is burning. The climate is changing. And we're doing nothing to stop it," 4 Sep. 2019 So, while archaeologists dig out progressively older and more valuable specimens, the chances of preserving them is getting slimmer. — Ritoban Mukherjee, Quartz, "Climate change is bad for the planet, but groundbreaking for archaeology," 30 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Gadomski, too, urged Park Ridge residents to secure their vehicles, remove the keys and avoid leaving money and other valuables inside. — Jennifer Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Police: Unlocked cars with keys inside stolen from Park Ridge neighborhood," 28 Aug. 2019 Workers from Bauer Brothers Salvage have begun removing busts, doors and other valuables from the former St. Andrew’s Catholic Church as preparations for demolition continue. — Jean Pieri, Twin Cities, "Salvage work begins at St. Andrew’s Church. Demolition is next.," 9 Aug. 2019 Theft, Various Streets Someone entered at least two unlocked cars parked in their driveways overnight June 29-30 and stole money and valuables. — Joan Rusek, cleveland.com, "Man shows his genitals after stopping woman in crosswalk: Chagrin Falls Police Blotter," 2 July 2019 Protect your valuables by securing them inside your house or in an off-site location. — Leslie Sargent Eskildsen, The Mercury News, "Secure your valuables when listing your home for sale," 26 Aug. 2019 Imagine coming home and finding your entire house ransacked, your valuables stolen and your children tied to poles, their backs bleeding from being whipped with a sjambok. — Evan Mawarire, Time, "Violence in Zimbabwe Is Escalating. But We Won't Stop Fighting for Our Freedoms," 23 Aug. 2019 How to avoid it: Secure all of your valuables before heading out for the day. — Andrea Sachs, Twin Cities, "10 common travel scams — and how to avoid them," 10 Aug. 2019 The diver for hire regularly patrols the Comal, Guadalupe and San Marcos rivers on his own in search of phones, wedding rings, sunglasses and other valuables accidentally dropped into the murky drink by river tubers. — Richard A. Marini, ExpressNews.com, "New Braunfels scuba diver hunts for treasures lost by tubers," 16 July 2019 However, most insurance companies do offer add-on riders to existing homeowners policies that specifically cover valuables such as jewelry, which could be a viable option for some. 7. — Annie Zaleski, USA TODAY, "The 8 things everyone should do before buying jewelry insurance," 15 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'valuable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.