Valued

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈvæljuːd/

Definitions

1. Regarded as important or useful, deemed worthy of respect or consideration, and assigned significant worth in various contexts
2. Recognized for its significance and merit, appreciated for its contribution or quality, and held in high esteem by others
3. Considered to have considerable importance or usefulness, acknowledged for inherent worth or quality, and esteemed highly in diverse situations

Etymology: "Valued" is the past participle of "value", so the core history belongs to the noun and verb it comes from. The "value" element entered Middle English as "valew", borrowed from Old French "value", which was the feminine past participle of "valoir". That French verb descends from Latin "valēre", meaning "be strong" or "be worth", so the earliest sense of the root is physical strength rather than price. The adjective "valued" carries that worth-as-strength idea into a judgment about people and things. Something is "valued" when it has been assessed as strong or useful enough to matter, which is why the word now sits comfortably in phrases like "valued customer" or "valued opinion". The participle form simply treats the state of being assessed as a completed act.

Synonyms: appreciated, esteemed, prized

Antonyms: devalued, worthless