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Meaning & use

valuable

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈvæljuəbəl/
US/ˈvæljəbəl/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Worth a large amount of money or likely to bring a high price.

    Grammar: Used before nouns and after linking verbs: valuable paintings, the watch is valuable.

    Patterns

    • valuable object
    • valuable collection
    • prove valuable
    • become valuable

    The museum keeps its most valuable paintings behind glass.

    Her grandmother left her a valuable ring.

    Old coins can become valuable when few remain.

  2. adjectivecomparable

    Extremely useful, important, or helpful to a person, plan, or activity.

    Grammar: Often follows linking verbs or describes abstract nouns such as time, advice, experience.

    Patterns

    • valuable advice
    • valuable experience
    • valuable contribution
    • valuable lesson

    Thank you; your advice was really valuable.

    The internship gave her valuable experience in a busy clinic.

    Each mistake taught us a valuable lesson.

Word forms

comparativemore valuable
superlativemost valuable

Common combinations

valuable advice
Mentors gave valuable advice about choosing courses.
valuable experience
Volunteering abroad was valuable experience for her career.
valuable resource
Clean water is a valuable resource in dry regions.
prove valuable
The second plan proved valuable during the emergency.

Synonyms and how they differ

precious
Precious suggests high price or deep personal love, while valuable stresses worth or practical importance.
priceless
Priceless means too valuable to price, often unique; valuable can describe ordinary things with high worth.
invaluable
Invaluable means extremely useful and is stronger than valuable about benefit, not money.

Opposites

worthlessuseless

Word family

value noun
the worth, usefulness, or importance of something
value verb
to judge the worth of something or care about it
valuation noun
an estimate of how much something is worth
valuable noun
rare plural valuables means expensive personal possessions

Commonly confused: valuable or invaluable? valuable or valid?

valuable vs invaluable

Invaluable means extremely valuable in usefulness; it does not mean not valuable.

valuable vs valid

Valid means acceptable or sound, especially for arguments, tickets, or documents.

Practice

Choose the best word for the blank: Her notes were ____ during the final revision week.

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