Value

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈvæl.juː/

Definitions

1. The importance, worth, or usefulness of something
2. The significance or worth assigned to an object or concept, encompassing both its practical utility and its perceived importance in context
3. A measure of the importance, usefulness, or worth of an item or idea, reflecting both material and intrinsic qualities

Etymology: The notion of worth in "value" comes from a Latin verb meaning "be strong." Latin "valēre" meant "be strong, be worth," and the idea that a thing's worth is its strength or capacity to do good carried over into the Old French "valoir," meaning "to be worth." The Old French feminine past participle "value," used as a noun, passed into Middle English as "valew," so the English word inherited its sense of worth through French rather than arriving directly from Latin. The same Latin verb is the ancestor of several words in English that share its sense of strength or power. "Valiant" and "valid" come from the same root, so a valid argument was once one that was strong enough to hold up, and a valiant person was one who showed strength. "Value" thus began as a word about physical or moral power and gradually shifted toward the question of what a thing is worth.

Synonyms: worth, importance, significance

Antonyms: worthlessness, insignificance