Do you know the definition of eligible? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word eligible, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!
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According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word eligible is an adjective that means able, worthy of choice or qualified. Eligible is four syllables – el-i-gi-ble, and the pronunciation of eligible is elɪdʒɪbəl. Different suffixes like ity, ness and bly can be added to the end of eligibly to make the related words eligibility (n., el-i-gi-bil-i-ty) and eligibly (adv.).
Someone can be eligible for many different things, including eligible young men who are ready to have a spouse, eligible for retirement benefits because they have reached the stipulated requirements, being eligible to join the Cavaliers, UNC’s basketball program with the permission of university administrators, eligible to participate if the players test negative, eligible for bill forgiveness and punishment removal, eligible to attend Princeton University to study Hindi, eligible for copyright suits, eligible to participate in a certain competition because they have met all of the previous requirements, eligible for a forward pass, eligible to get one’s license because they have met the age and the training requirements to take the test and have a learner’s permit, and more.
Many other languages also contain words that mean eligible (adj.). You may notice that many of these words look and sound similar to the word eligible. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases that mean the same thing as well as look and sound similar between languages. These are often formed when two words have the same root word or language of origin like Latin or Greek. This list of translations of eligible is provided by Word Sense.
According to Etymonline, the word eligible was first used in c15 and comes from the Middle English. This comes from Middle French, Old French and the Late Latin ēligibilis/Late Latin eligibilis, from the Latin ē and lig, a form of leg and a stem of legere, along with the suffix bilis which makes ible. This comes from the Latin eligere/Latin ēligere.
What are synonyms and antonyms of the word eligible?
There are many different words and phrases that a person can use in place of the word eligible. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another word or phrase. Synonyms are useful to know if you are trying not to repeat yourself in conversation or a written work, as well as if you are trying to expand your vocabulary. This list of synonyms for the word eligible is provided by Power Thesaurus.
There are also numerous different words that mean the opposite of the word eligible. These opposite words are called antonyms. Antonyms are another great tool to use to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms for the word eligible is provided by Power Thesaurus as well.
incompatible
shameful
debarred
forbidden
disagreeable
incompetent
fate worse than death
dishonorable
incommodious
unacceptable
dissonant
impotent
inappropriate
wretched
unqualified
unbecoming
uncalled-for
ignoble
ineligible
contrary
pitiful
degrading
unsuitable
inconsistent
unenviable
inadequate
blamable
indelicate
disgraceful
deficient
disqualified
ill-suited
inconvenient
worthless
no-account
unsuited
wrong
unfitting
dissatisfying
barred
awkward
incapable
recreant
impracticable
objectionable
inadmissible
infelicitous
disreputable
dishonourable
ignored
incongruous
dissident
imbalanced
in a cleft stick
unauthorized
unlikable
lacking
unlimited
unpopular
untimely
unreachable
prohibited
outlawed
unavailable
disentitled
outright
unworkable
unjustified
total
ungrammatical
not entitled
askew
unentitled
unable
inferior
prejudicial
unreserved
unappealing
troublesome
do not match
opposed
unripe
inexpert
lopsided
nasty
invidious
unskilled
clashing
inoperable
unimaginable
unchartered
untoward
unemployable
threaten
inexpedient
lame
unadvisable
sleazy
unfavorable
unconditional
unwarrantable
unpleasant
unlikely
unshapely
unbefitting
inharmonious
jarring
undesirable
bothersome
interfering
married to
unseasonable
incongruent
indecent
no-good
cold
undue
unmatched
incommensurate
baneful
inapt
disallowed
inapposite
inadvisable
discordant
malapropos
disapproving
inexcusable
unmerited
unfit
senseless
vile
banned
valueless
irrelevant
discrepant
unseemly
antagonistic
engaged
incorrect
improper
indisposed
deplorable
compulsory
good-for-nothing
contemptible
unwanted
undeserving
unworthy
fateful
Overall, the word eligible means a worthy choice or option. This word has been used since the 15th century. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today! Using words in everyday life is a great way to add them to your vocabulary and memorize their definitions.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Kevin
September 20, 2021
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