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

And despite enduring prolonged lockdowns, the list of worthwhile restaurants has multiplied over the years. —Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2023

Surely there’s enough money in the treasury to pay for such worthwhile efforts. —George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2023

The Rubbermaid's self-wringing system and scouring head make this mop a worthwhile purchase for households with tough, stuck-on messes. —Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023

The personal feedback convinced Mamat that the experiment was worthwhile, no matter what the data showed. —Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2023

All of this is in stark contrast to the complaints of artists, most of whom don’t make any worthwhile money from streaming at all and have escalated various copyright fights for publishing credits to get paid for radio play to absurd levels. —Nilay Patel, The Verge, 18 Sep. 2023

Other worthwhile stops along the trail include The Hangar Taproom and Bottle Shop and Sidellis, known for the oversize homemade Bavarian pretzels with beer cheese and their famous French dip. —By sunset, Sunset Magazine, 15 Sep. 2023

This velvet sofa bed is such a worthwhile investment. —Matthew Parker, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2023

Data privacy laws protecting UK residents make this form more worthwhile for people who live in the UK. —Reece Rogers, WIRED, 7 Sep. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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