Many people find it confusing that the in- prefix at the beginning of invaluable apparently lacks the meaning "not" found in a number of other words, such as invalid, inarticulate, and insane. In fact, the prefix does indicate negation, but in a way that is not immediately obvious. The original (and current) meaning of invaluable is "valuable beyond estimation"; the word describes something so precious that one cannot assign a price to it. This, clearly, is the opposite of the meaning "having no value; valueless" that the word might seem to carry. Invaluable actually has been recorded in the sense "without value," but such use has been exceedingly rare and is practically nonexistent today.
Unfortunately, though, Sally does not respond to lithium, which has been invaluable for many patients with manic-depressive illness … Oliver Sacks, New York Review of Books, 25 Sept. 2008… the scrolls provide an invaluable snapshot of at least one important strain in early Judaism—though they are by no means a complete record of Jewish belief at that time. Jeremy Lott, Lingua Franca, February 2001I stayed there only a month or so but it was an invaluable experience … : that month's residence provided the inspiration for a novel I wrote much later, Sophie's Choice. William Styron, This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, (1953) 1982 Their help has been invaluable to us. the list of likely donors proved to be invaluable to our fund-raising efforts
Recent Examples on the WebThis sort of workplace exposure is invaluable, said Angela O’Brien, a fall 2020 BrewTech student. Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2022 This data, when combined with data on conservation outcomes, will be invaluable in understanding what schemes work best for biodiversity conservation.Quartz, 15 Sep. 2022 His father said that connecting with Black male teachers in person has been invaluable, and Xavier has found a mentor in Allard, his coach. Perry Stein, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 The Oscar-winner says hearing firsthand what Loughren was able to accomplish on her own was invaluable. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 7 Sep. 2022 Plus, if your organization is facing a specific challenge, like pivoting to a new business model or expanding operations in a new geography, prior experience is invaluable. Aram Lulla, Forbes, 18 Aug. 2022 Having the governor’s support was invaluable, said Shalom. Kelan Lyons, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2022 With this disease, like many others, early detection is invaluable as a means of promoting early treatment. Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 21 July 2022 Metcalf said Fog has been invaluable to cracking missing children cases and homicides. Garance Burke, Jason Dearen, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Sep. 2022 See More