invaluable
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
extremely useful or important; having a value that is too high to measure.
having incalculable value; of such great utility or worth that it cannot be measured in monetary terms.
Simple“Her advice was invaluable when I was trying to choose a new career.”
In context“The mentorship provided by the senior partners proved invaluable to the associates during the complex merger negotiations.”
UsageUsually used to describe abstract things like help, advice, or information rather than physical objects.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse this with 'worthless' because of the 'in-' prefix. Remind them it means the value is so high it cannot be calculated.
PitfallThe old car is invaluable, so I will sell it for ten dollars. The old car is worthless, so I will sell it for ten dollars.The prefix 'in-' here means 'beyond' or 'cannot be', not 'not'. 'Invaluable' means extremely valuable, while 'worthless' means having no value.
Synonyms
“These wall paintings offer invaluable historical details about ancient Egyptian daily life and society.”
“Unlike the Concorde, which served commercial airlines and transported passengers, point-to-point rocket delivery could benefit government and defense sectors, where rapid delivery is invaluable.”
From in- + valuable (compare priceless).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.