desirable

[ dih-zahyuhr-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. worth having or wanting; pleasing, excellent, or fine:

   a desirable apartment.

2. arousing desire or longing:

   a desirable man or woman.

3. advisable; recommendable:

   a desirable law.

noun

1. a person or thing that is desirable.

desirable

/ dɪˈzaɪərəbəl /

adjective

1. worthy of desire or recommendation

   a desirable residence

2. arousing desire, esp sexual desire; attractive

noun

1. a person or thing that is the object of desire

Derived Forms

• deˌsiraˈbility, noun
• deˈsirably, adverb

Other Words From

• de·sira·bili·ty de·sira·ble·ness noun
• de·sira·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of desirable¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French; equivalent to desire + -able

Example Sentences

“Where feasible and desirable,” the law says, “the project shall include resident ownership.”

From Los Angeles Times

Because the AG must also manage a sprawling governmental agency, including its relations with Congress, some management experience is highly desirable.

From Slate

They discovered that some of the pre-fusion F proteins appeared to be unstable and sometimes converted to an open form, or even less desirable, a post-fusion form.

From Science Daily

Monaco remains the jewel in the crown of Formula 1, and as such it is a desirable event to have on the calendar.

From BBC

“This is why we’re seeing security tags on blocks of cheddar in supermarkets. Based on price alone, cheese is one of the most desirable foods a criminal can steal.”

From BBC

Related Words

• acceptable
• beneficial
• enviable
• expedient
• gratifying
• helpful
• preferable
• profitable
• useful
• worthwhile