First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
eligible
adjective el·i·gi·ble \ˈe-lə-jə-bəl\
: able to be chosen for something : able to do or receive something
: suitable and desirable for marriage
Full Definition of ELIGIBLE
1
a : qualified to participate or be chosen <eligible to retire> b : permitted under football rules to catch a forward pass
2
: worthy of being chosen <an eligible young bachelor>
— el·i·gi·bil·i·ty \ˌe-lə-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun
— eligible noun
— el·i·gi·bly \ˈe-lə-jə-blē\ adverb
See eligible defined for English-language learners
See eligible defined for kids
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Examples of ELIGIBLE
- … more than six years since the fall of the Taliban, fewer than 30% of eligible girls are enrolled in schools, and the infrastructure is so poor that only a tiny fraction are likely to get the education they need to enjoy the fruits of emancipation. —Aryn Baker, Time, 28 Jan. 2008
- She wanted to start her own family. She was twenty-six and without prospects. At church her mother prayed, and at Crystal Nail, where she lacquered and lengthened, her mother asked customers about eligible young men. She kept Li En's graduation photo mounted in the right corner of her mirror, so that every customer would see her daughter, diploma in hand. —Max Apple, Atlantic, November 2003
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Origin of ELIGIBLE
Middle English, from Late Latin eligibilis, from Latin eligere to choose — more at elect
ELIGIBLE Defined for Kids
eligible
adjective el·i·gi·ble \ˈe-li-jə-bəl\
Definition of ELIGIBLE for Kids
: qualified to be chosen, to participate, or to receive <You're eligible for a loan.>
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