Meaning & use
value
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
How much something is worth in money or how useful or important it is.
Grammar: Uncountable for worth in general, countable for a specific amount.
Patterns
- the value of something
- of value
The value of the house has risen sharply.
Regular exercise has great value for health.
The painting is of little value.
nounusually plural
A belief about what is right or important in life, usually in the plural.
Grammar: Plural for personal principles: family values.
Patterns
- share someone's values
Honesty is one of our core values.
They teach their children traditional values.
The company's values include fairness and respect.
nouncountablemathematicscomputing
A number or amount that a quantity or variable has.
Grammar: Used in math and computing: the value of x.
Patterns
- the value of something
Find the value of x in the equation.
The sensor returned a value of 25 degrees.
Each cell holds a different value.
verbtransitive
To think that something is important, or to estimate how much it is worth.
Grammar: Takes an object: she values honesty.
Patterns
- value something
- value something at something
I value your honest advice.
The expert valued the ring at five thousand dollars.
They value their friends above all.
Word forms
| plural | values |
|---|---|
| third person singular | values |
| past tense | valued |
| -ing form | valuing |
Common combinations
- great value
- The meal was great value for the price.
- market value
- The market value of the car has dropped.
- core values
- Kindness is one of our core values.
- value for money
- This phone offers good value for money.
- increase in value
- The land increased in value over ten years.
- face value
- Don't take his promises at face value.
Synonyms and how they differ
- worth
- Worth stresses the amount or merit that something deserves, like how much something is worth.
- price
- Price is the amount you pay, while value is what it is really worth.
- importance
- Importance is about how much something matters, not money.
- principle
- Principle is a basic rule of behavior, close to the plural sense of values.
Opposites
Word family
- valuable adjective
- worth a lot
- valuables noun
- expensive personal items
- valuation noun
- an estimate of worth
- invaluable adjective
- extremely useful
- undervalue verb
- to treat as less important than it is
Commonly confused: value or invaluable? value or price?
value vs invaluable
Invaluable means extremely valuable, not without value.
value vs price
Price is what you pay; value is what it is worth to you.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'value' as a verb?
Choose one answer.
In the second sentence, value is the action verb meaning to treasure. In the others it is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “value”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.