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

For a brief period today, Microsoft achieved greater market value than Apple, which is often called the world's most valuable company. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "Microsoft (briefly) passed Apple to become the most valuable US company today," 26 Nov. 2018 This experience has taught me a valuable lesson as to the context and the nuance of editorial liberties. — Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, "Henry Cavill Apologizes for "Misunderstanding" Over #MeToo Comments," 12 July 2018 This experience has taught me a valuable lesson as to the context and the nuance of editorial liberties. — Gina Martinez, Time, "Henry Cavill Apologizes For #MeToo Comments: 'Insensitivity Was Absolutely Not My Intention'," 12 July 2018 Other challenges include mobility on shifting terrain for the next generation of squishy robots, as well as the severe limitations of building something small and light enough to fly without losing valuable equipment capacity. — Popular Mechanics, "The Squishy Robots That Could Save the World," 13 May 2019 Get valuable jewelry checked regularly by a reputable jeweler to make sure the stones are in good shape and the settings are secure. — Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean Your Jewelry Like a Pro," 7 May 2019 My eggs were taking up valuable cryochamber real estate at the clinic, real estate that had not been paid for. — Hannah Selinger, Glamour, "I Spent $17K Freezing Eggs—And I Regret Every Penny," 22 Apr. 2019 People in every decade of life are missing out on valuable rest. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "9 Small but Impactful Health Habits to Lock Down in Your 20s," 19 Apr. 2019 But careful experimentation is a very valuable step on the road to figuring that out. — Kelsey Piper, Vox, "Why disaster relief is so hard," 25 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Michelle Stober loaded up her valuables Tuesday at her home on Wrightsville Beach to drive back to her primary residence in Cary, North Carolina. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, "Ahead of Hurricane Florence, Carolinians ignore calls to evacuate for financial, employment reasons," 12 Sep. 2018 Michelle Stober loaded up valuables on Tuesday at her home on Wrightsville Beach to take back to her primary residence in Cary, North Carolina. — Jonathan Drew, The Seattle Times, "“Monster” Hurricane Florence nears Carolina coast," 11 Sep. 2018 The residents were then distracted while a second individual is believed to have entered their homes looking for valuables, police said. — Jennifer Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Police: More Park Ridge residents report burglaries by visitors posting as workers," 23 Apr. 2018 Police said one man distracted the woman outside her apartment while the other and cased the inside for valuables. — Scott Berson, charlotteobserver, "‘We can confirm that this is real,’ police say after posting pic of burglary suspect | Charlotte Observer," 3 Apr. 2018 One of Houston's most popular listening rooms is picking up the pieces after thieves broke into the music venue looking for valuables. — Craig Hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "Houston's Mucky Duck music venue hit by unsuccessful thieves early Monday morning," 15 Jan. 2018 Authorities tell you to go, get your important papers, get your pictures, get your valuables, and just go. — Fox News, "George Papadopoulos on what he wants the American people to know," 12 Sep. 2018 While the Queen doesn't own the coveted Crown Jewels, the monarch does have a trove of valuables worth quite a pretty penny. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "A Look at How Queen Elizabeth Has Amassed Such a Large Net Worth," 26 July 2018 Once the flow has ebbed, get undamaged valuables and heirlooms out of harm’s way. — Joanne Cleaver, chicagotribune.com, "Reckoning with water damage, from flooded basements to faulty dishwashers," 20 Sep. 2017

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.