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Meaning & use

invaluable

adjective·Academic

Last updated

UK/ɪnˈvæljuəbl/
US/ɪnˈvæljuəbəl/

Meaning

  1. adjectivecomparableapproving

    So useful or precious that its worth is greater than can be measured.

    Grammar: It does not mean worthless; in- here means beyond. Often followed by to or for: invaluable to the team.

    Patterns

    • invaluable to someone
    • invaluable for something
    • an invaluable asset

    Her advice was invaluable during the move.

    A good map is invaluable on a hike.

    The volunteers proved invaluable to the project.

Common combinations

invaluable asset
Her language skills are an invaluable asset to the company.
invaluable experience
The internship gave him invaluable experience.
invaluable help
We are grateful for your invaluable help.
invaluable resource
The library is an invaluable resource for students.
prove invaluable
The tool proved invaluable during the repair.
invaluable insight
The survey provided invaluable insight into customer needs.

Synonyms and how they differ

priceless
Priceless can describe treasures or moments with deep worth, while invaluable usually describes usefulness.
indispensable
Indispensable stresses that you cannot manage without it, whereas invaluable stresses how great its worth is.
precious
Precious suggests something loved or rare, while invaluable is more about practical usefulness.
essential
Essential means it is needed, but invaluable adds the idea that it is highly worthwhile.

Opposites

worthlessuseless

Word family

value noun
the worth or usefulness of something
valuable adjective
worth a lot or very useful
value verb
to think something is important
invaluably adverb
in a way that is extremely helpful

Commonly confused: invaluable or valuable? invaluable or valueless?

invaluable vs valuable

Valuable means worth a lot, and invaluable means worth more than can be measured, so invaluable is the stronger word.

invaluable vs valueless

Valueless means without worth, so it is the true opposite of invaluable, even though valueless looks like a negative of valuable.

Practice

A guide described as invaluable to a trip is one who is ___.

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