worthwhile

adjective

worth·​while ˈwərth-ˈ(h)wī(-ə)l 

1

: being worth the time or effort spent

worthwhile preparations

2

: worthy sense 1

a worthwhile cause

worthwhileness noun

Examples of worthwhile in a Sentence

The money is for a worthwhile cause.

Seeing my children's joy made building the tree house all worthwhile.

Is it worthwhile to try to fix my computer?

Recent Examples on the Web

By choosing to stay in Arlen, Hank and Peggy reaffirm King of the Hill’s core message: that belonging to a community is a worthwhile enterprise that requires ongoing commitment. —Adrienne Matei, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025

Tensor will not be able to drive every street upon release, but plans to handle a worthwhile subset, such as highways and arterials in non-snowy places. —Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Nvidia likely reasoned that there is enough Chinese demand for the chips to make the 15% commission to the White House a worthwhile trade-off for its business, according to Kreps. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2025

And one his family believes will turn into a worthwhile career. —Kansas City Star, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for worthwhile

• argyle
• awhile
• beguile
• compile
• condyle
• defile
• erstwhile
• exile
• freestyle
• gentile
• hairstyle
• lifestyle

Kids Definition

worthwhile

adjective

worth·​while ˈwərth-ˈhwī(ə)l 

-ˈwī(ə)l

1

: being worth the time or effort spent

worthwhile preparations

2

: worthy sense 1a