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

Still, the decision-makers could deem Ingram-Dawkins worthwhile. —Alec Lewis, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025

Platforms like TikTok or YouTube can grow and provide worthwhile experiences for individuals without their social circles joining. —Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025

Car batteries that have lost too much capacity to be worthwhile in a vehicle can get a second life on the power grid. —Umair Irfan, Vox, 21 Apr. 2025

Prisoner and floor manager Kino Loy (Andy Serkis) has mere months left on his sentence, so keeping fellow inmates in line at the cost of his humanity seems like a worthwhile trade-off. —Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 21 Apr. 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