valuable

adjective valu·able \ ˈval-yə-bəl , -yə-wə-bəl , -yü-ə- \

Updated on: 28 Nov 2017

Definition of valuable

1 a : having monetary value

b : worth a good price

2 a : having desirable or esteemed characteristics or qualities

valuable friendships

b : of great use or service

valuable advice

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valuableness

noun

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valuably

play \ˈval-yə-blē, -yə-wə-blē, -yü-ə-\ adverb

See valuable defined for English-language learners

See valuable defined for kids

Examples of valuable in a Sentence

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 of valuable from the Web

The Vikings added two running backs last offseason, but Jerick McKinnon has still proved valuable, particularly as a receiver.

— jacob feldman, SI.com, "Trade-Deadline Frenzy Finally Comes to the NFL," 31 Oct. 2017
Even if Luton does not return to the starting lineup this season, his presence could be valuable.

— danny moran, OregonLive.com, "Jake Luton returns to throwing; timeline uncertain for Oregon State quarterback's return," 31 Oct. 2017
Audi’s Quattro fulltime all-wheel drive is standard, and even for those who don’t regularly drive on snow or ice, the Q7’s all-wheel drive is still a valuable asset, especially on dry, curvy roads such as those found in the Hill Country.

— g. chambers williams iii, star-telegram, "Audi redesigns its three-row Q7 crossover, with more space, performance, technology | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 28 Oct. 2017
This weekend will prove valuable to him in that regard.

— todd rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "UW-Milwaukee coach Pat Baldwin heads into first big weekend with new team," 20 Oct. 2017
That October, a mayor’s subcommittee was formed to create an inventory of historic places in La Cañada and adopt regulations that would catch and potentially preserve valuable homes before they were demolished.

— sara cardine, La Cañada Valley Sun, "Following ‘F’ grade in preservation, City Council closes in on process for identifying historic properties," 18 Oct. 2017
Criminals stole Social Security numbers, birth dates, drivers’ license numbers and other information that is considered valuable in committing identity theft.

— elizabeth dexheimer, Bloomberg.com, "Equifax Board Forms Panel to Review Executives' Share Sales," 30 Sep. 2017
Their experience in China and technical savvy may prove even more valuable.

— newley purnell, WSJ, "Alibaba and Tencent Set Fast Pace in Mobile-Payments Race," 22 Sep. 2017
In the right hands, these chunks of ancient wood can prove infinitely valuable.

— lyndsie bourgon, Smithsonian, "How Forest Forensics Could Prevent the Theft of Ancient Trees," 6 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.

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.