value

noun

val·ue | \ ˈval-(ˌ)yü

Definition of value

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the monetary worth of something : market price

2 : a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged

3 : relative worth, utility, or importance a good value at the price the value of base stealing in baseball had nothing of value to say

4 : something (such as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable sought material values instead of human values —W. H. Jones

5 : a numerical quantity that is assigned or is determined by calculation or measurement let x take on positive values a value for the age of the earth

6 : the relative duration of a musical note

7a : relative lightness or darkness of a color : luminosity

b : the relation of one part in a picture to another with respect to lightness and darkness

8 : denomination sense 2

value

verb

valued; valuing

Definition of value (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to consider or rate highly : prize, esteem values your opinion

2a : to estimate or assign the monetary worth of : appraise value a necklace

b : to rate or scale in usefulness, importance, or general worth : evaluate

Other Words from value Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about value

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Other words from value

Noun

valueless \ˈval-(ˌ)yü-ləs,

-yə- \ adjective

valuelessness noun

Verb

valuer \ˈval-yə-wər

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for value

Verb

estimate, appraise, evaluate, value, rate, assess mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance. estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out. estimated the crowd at two hundred appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment. having their house appraised evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary. evaluate a student's work value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment. a watercolor valued by the donor at $500 rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values. a highly rated restaurant assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action. officials are trying to assess the damage

appreciate, value, prize, treasure, cherish mean to hold in high estimation. appreciate often connotes sufficient understanding to enjoy or admire a thing's excellence. appreciates fine wine value implies rating a thing highly for its intrinsic worth. values our friendship prize implies taking a deep pride in something one possesses. Americans prize their freedom treasure emphasizes jealously safeguarding something considered precious. a treasured memento cherish implies a special love and care for something. cherishes her children above all

Examples of value in a Sentence

Noun

The company's stock continues to decline in value. Real estate prices have doubled in value over the last decade. The difference in value between the two currencies is not significant. You may exchange the item for something of equal value. We sold the home for less than its full value. an increase in the value of the dollar The home has a value of $1,000,000. Property values tend to rise as interest rates fall. The store advertises great values. No one can deny the value of a good education.

Verb

She values the time she spends with her family. The items are highly valued by collectors. The herbs are valued for their medicinal properties.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The county expects to receive an additional $9.7 million in property tax revenue for the coming fiscal year, fueled in large part by a 10 percent increase in higher property values. — Jerry Fallstrom, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lake says not enough money to fund sheriff's $9.8 million budget increase request," 13 July 2018 The authors track the differential in values, between 1971 and 2017, of properties at different levels of elevation and risk from sea-level rise (based on data from the U.S. Geological Survey), while controlling for other factors. — Richard Florida, WIRED, "Climate Change Will Force the Poor From Their Homes," 13 July 2018 Denver represents a reasonably attractive platform for Thomas to attempt to resuscitate his market value. — Ben Golliver, SI.com, "Grades: Isaiah Thomas Can Rejuvenate Career in Nuggets' Low-Risk Gamble," 13 July 2018 Involvement in the community is a crucial part of the company's mission, said Foster, who praised the Bucks for sharing their values. — James B. Nelson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Laughing Taco, FreshFin Poke, Iron Grate BBQ and Palermo's-inspired pizza coming to Bucks arena," 12 July 2018 Though black hole/neutron star pairings are rare, observing even a few could give scientists their most accurate value yet for the rate of expansion, Vitale and Chen say. — Jeremy C. Fox, BostonGlobe.com, "Harvard, MIT scientists propose new method to measure universe’s expansion," 11 July 2018 Then, the Maricopa County Assessor's Office determines the exact change in property values, within certain limits set by law. — Philip Athey, azcentral, "Did Phoenix leaders raise property taxes and lie about it?," 9 July 2018 Then Trump captured the nomination and his value increased exponentially. — Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Will Trump Be Meeting With His Counterpart — Or His Handler?," 8 July 2018 Within two years, the trail helped increase assessed property values in downtown Indianapolis by $1 billion. — Sarah Gish, kansascity, "Will Kansas City ever be bike-friendly? The city is about to roll out a plan," 13 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Two other startups have been involved in deals that valued them at close to $1 billion in recent months. — BostonGlobe.com, "The week in business," 13 July 2018 A day after 21st Century Fox submitted a proposal that valued Sky at £24.5bn ($32.5bn), Comcast upped its offer, to £26bn. — The Economist, "Business this week," 12 July 2018 Juul, a startup that makes e-cigarettes that teenagers are gaga for, is raising $1.2 billion in a round that would value the company at $15 billion — on par with companies like Lyft or Snap. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: Investing in vapor wares like Juul could be lucrative. But some Silicon Valley VCs draw the line at vice.," 10 July 2018 An electric scooter start-up called Bird is raising new funding that would value the company at $2 billion. — New York Times, "New Era for Bike-Share in New York: Dockless and Electric Bikes," 3 July 2018 With a small piece of the Orlando City franchise selling at a price that values the whole at $490 million, future MLS expansion figures to entail a sobering dose of sticker shock. — Timothy Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "James O'Connor's move from LouCity wasn't ideal, but likely inevitable," 1 July 2018 Led by a former Uber and Lyft executive, the startup is raising $150 million in financing that will value the company at $1 billion, according to Bloomberg. — Colin Campbell, baltimoresun.com, "Bird, a fleet of dockless, electric scooters, launches in Baltimore," 28 June 2018 The 2016 hair incident epitomized an eager-to-please style that valued games and stunts over substance, which served Fallon well before Trump's political arrival but hasn't resonated at a time when avoiding controversy doesn't always pay dividends. — Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, "Comedy scorecard: Winners and losers in the Trump era," 27 June 2018 Photo: Tony Luong for The Wall Street Journal Mr. Daly often hires from outside the banking industry, valuing scrappiness over pedigree. — Christina Rexrode, WSJ, "Meet the CEO of ‘America’s Most Exciting Bank’—at Least as He’s Branded It," 13 July 2018

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

History and Etymology for value

Noun

Middle English, "worth, high quality," borrowed from Anglo-French, noun derivative from feminine of valu (going back to Vulgar Latin *valūtus), past participle of valer, valeir "to be worth, have value," going back to Latin valēre "to be well, have strength" — more at wield

Verb

Middle English valuen, borrowed from Anglo-French valuer "to estimate, be worth," verbal derivative of value value entry 1

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