# value

/ˈvæɫju/ (US) · /vˈæljuː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/value
Updated: 2026-07-22

## Senses

### 1. worth or price

noun · CEFR B1

the amount of money something is worth, or how useful it is.

For teachers: the material or monetary worth of an item; the quality that renders something desirable or useful.

- The market value of the house has increased significantly over the last five years.
- The appraiser struggled to determine the exact market value of the antique, given its unique provenance and the lack of comparable sales.

### 2. personal beliefs

noun · CEFR B1

the principles or standards that you think are important in life.

For teachers: the moral principles and beliefs or accepted standards of a person or social group.

- The school aims to teach children traditional values like honesty and respect.
- The company's core values are reflected in its commitment to environmental sustainability and ethical sourcing across all departments.

Usage: Usually used in the plural form 'values'.

### 3. mathematical quantity

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a number or amount that is found by measuring or calculating.

For teachers: a numerical quantity or other mathematical object assigned to or calculated for a variable or constant.

- You need to find the value of x in this equation to solve the problem.
- The algorithm calculates the optimal value for the parameters by iteratively reducing the margin of error in the dataset.

### 4. color darkness

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

how light or dark a color is in a painting or photograph.

For teachers: the relative lightness or darkness of a color, also known as tone or luminosity.

- The artist used different values of blue to create a sense of depth in the ocean.
- By manipulating the values of the background, the painter successfully directed the viewer's eye toward the brightly lit central figure.

### 5. to appreciate

verb · CEFR B1

to think that someone or something is important or useful.

For teachers: to regard someone or something as being of great worth or importance.

- I really value your advice because you have so much experience.
- The organization values diversity and actively seeks to recruit employees from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.

### 6. to estimate worth

verb · CEFR B2

to decide how much money something is worth.

For teachers: to estimate the monetary worth of an item or property.

- The jewelry was valued at over five thousand dollars for insurance purposes.
- Independent experts were brought in to value the company's assets before the merger could be finalized.

Usage: Often used in the passive voice.

## Examples

- The new car will lose its value as soon as you drive it.
- The real value of this antique watch lies in its history rather than the materials used to make it.
- Although the property's market value has fluctuated wildly over the past decade, its sentimental value to the family remains entirely undiminished.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.