available

American  

[uh-vey-luh-buhl] / əˈveɪ lə bəl /

adjective

1. suitable or ready for use; of use or service; at hand.

   I used whatever tools were available.

   Synonyms:

   handy, usable, accessible

2. readily obtainable; accessible.

   available resources.

3. (of a person) free or willing to do something; not occupied.

   I’m sorry, Mrs. Clarke is not available to speak with you right now.

4. not involved in a romantic or sexual relationship; single.

   Why would you tell Rachel that I’m available when you know how serious I am about Tina?

5. Archaic.

   1. efficacious, advantageous, or profitable.

   2. legally valid.

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available British  

/ əˈveɪləbəl /

adjective

1. obtainable or accessible; capable of being made use of; at hand

2. derogatory politics suitable for public office, usually as a result of having an inoffensive character

   Smith was a particularly available candidate

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Other Word Forms

• availability noun
• availableness noun
• availably adverb
• interavailable adjective
• unavailable adjective
• unavailableness noun
• unavailably adverb

Etymology

Origin of available

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; see origin at avail, -able

Explanation

"Is this seat available?" "Are you available, or are you married?" As you can tell from these two examples, available means "not busy or not taken." Available can be used to describe anything that's ready to be used like a restaurant table or a theater seat. It can also be used to describe a person who is not involved in a romantic relationship: "Available singles use online dating websites." When you use a resource, like the school library, you can say that you "avail yourself to the research opportunities made available to students." No matter how you slice it, available means free for the taking.

Example Sentences

Attorneys representing Baldwin and the producers were not immediately available for comment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Parking at Cae Llan, Pen-y-pass and Nant Peris will continue to be available for 24 hours a day.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

This isn’t a generalizable solution; it is a premium adaptation available only to the most richly resourced institutions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

In the event that the Strait fully reopens and all available shipping routes are used, all those barrels could leave the strait toward their destinations within a week or so, Smith said.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

They sifted through all available records on him, from recent FBI files to security checks that had been done over the years.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• accessible
• applicable
• convenient
• feasible
• free
• handy
• possible
• usable
• vacant