a. and sb. Also 7 valewable, 7–8 valueable. [f. VALUE v. + -ABLE.]
A. adj. 1. Of material or monetary value; having value for use or for exchange.
1589. Nashe, Pref. to Greene’s Menaphon (Arb.), 8. Which being the effect of an vndescerning iudgement, makes drosse as valuable as gold.
1687. Burnet, Trav., III. (1750), 127. I did not see the Gospel of St. Mark which is one of the valuablest Things of the Treasure.
1710. Prideaux, Orig. Tithes, ii. 77. Which makes ‘tithes’ at least one fourth part less valueable to them, than they were to the Levitical Priesthood.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), IV. 53. A very valuable cabinet where the arrangement is very judicious, especially as to the coins and medals.
1776. Trial of Nundocomar, 82/2. Do you know whether he kept jewels, or other valuable effects there?
1825. McCulloch, Pol. Econ. I. i. 2. A commodity or a product is not valuable because it is useful; but it is valuable because it can only be procured by the intervention of labour.
1855. Poultry Chron., III. 430. I have lately lost a valuable hen from a disease which is new to me.
1863. Fawcett, Pol. Econ., III. xvi. 503. Gold, during the Middle Ages, was about sixteen times more valuable than the same weight of silver.
† b. Amounting to a reasonable sum; not merely nominal. Obs.
1613. Bury Wills (Camden), 159. Vpon trust and confidence that they … shall demise the same at a valewable rent, and to the best profite.
c. Valuable consideration: see CONSIDERATION 6.
1638. Sanderson, Serm. (1682), II. 97. Some small trifle or other: which being of very little worth or use, and so not to be taken for a valuable consideration, may therefore be called nought or nothing.
1698. in Sir H. Dalrymple, Decis. (1792), 1. A decree … finding, that the bond was granted for no valuable consideration, and therefore discharging all execution thereupon for ever.
1766. Blackstone, Comm., II. 297. A valuable consideration is such as money, marriage, or the like, which the law esteems an equivalent given for the grant.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), II. 64. Not even an alienation, for a valuable consideration, to a purchaser … will avoid it.
1898. Ld. Harris in Westm. Gaz., 15 Oct., 7/1. Who will satisfy themselves that no valuable consideration has passed between the respective county clubs to bring about the transfer.
2. Having value or worth, of great use or service, to a person or for a purpose.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. § 182. King James … would often say, that his access to the Crown of England was the more valuable to him, as it redeem’d him from the subjection to the ill manners … of those Preachers.
1748. Anson’s Voy., II. iv. 164. These were the principal goods on board her, but we found besides what was to us much more valuable than the rest of the cargoe.
1851. Carlyle, Sterling, III. iv. I … saw most of the usual wonders,—the Pæstan Temples being to me much the most valuable.
1878. Jevons, Polit. Econ., 96. We may say that quinine is valuable for curing fevers,… or that water is valuable for putting out fires.
1883. Law Times, 20 Oct., 405/2. Young solicitors will find many hints valuable to them interspersed among its contents.
b. Possessed of qualities that confer value or bring into high estimation.
1638. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (ed. 2), 146. Somewhat further, over heaps of stones of valewable portraictures, we mount towards the most lofty part of this Pallace.
1737. H. Walpole, in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. I. 270. I should be glad of purchasing a good collection of ye ancient Classicks, and other valuable authors.
a. 1768. Secker, Serm. (1770), IV. xviii. 387. Yet we never … doubt of their having a real, though unknown, Subserviency to valuable Ends.
1801. Med. Jrnl., V. 173. If they should accord with the spirit of your very valuable Journal, you are at full liberty to insert them.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xviii. IV. 243. At such a moment the ministers could not refuse to listen to any person who professed himself able to give them valuable information.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 81. No instrument of education is more valuable than arithmetic.
† c. Of persons: Entitled to consideration or distinction; estimable. Obs.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., VI. § 65. [They] appear’d to be a good Number of very valuable Men, on whose behalf he had only Authority to conclude.
1703. Hatton Corr. (Camden), II. 250. Mr. Pepys, who was a very valuable person,… is dead, and was yesterday buryed.
1727. Swift, To Young Lady, Wks. 1755, II. II. 49. A lady of your acquaintance, married to a very valuable person.
1730. Southall, Treat. Buggs, 3. The late Learned and truly Valuable Dr. Woodward … approv’d the Design.
† 3. That can be valued; capable of having the value estimated. Obs. rare.
1627. Sanderson, Serm. (1682), I. 263. That sin … from which he hath once escaped without shame, or so much as valueable loss.
1690. Locke, Govt., I. ix. ¶ 10. We are … now speaking … of Possessions and Commodities of Life Valuable by Money.
† 4. Capable of being compared or equated in value with something. Obs.
1646. Quarles, Judgem. & Mercy, Wks. (Grosart), I. 86/2. Is … a puffe of breath wee call life, valuable with his honour, in comparison of whom the very Angels are impure?
1651. Hobbes, Govt. & Soc., ii. § 14. 28. His Will … hath simply before it, for its object, a certain good valuable with the thing promised.
† 5. Valid, sound. Obs.–1
1647. N. Ward, Simple Cobler, 8. He that will rather make an irreligious quarell with other Religions then try the Truth of his own by valuable Arguments.
B. sb. An article of worth or value. Usually in pl., valuable goods or possessions.
1775. in Ash.
1797. S. & H. Lee, Canterb. T., I. 188. With such valuables and papers as he deemed most likely to secure him either impunity or revenge.
1829. Lytton, Devereux, III. v. I did not long wrestle with my pride before I obtained the victory, and sent all my valuables to the hammer.
1842. R. I. Wilberforce, Rutilius & Lucius, 22. No one but had furnished himself with some valuable.
1878. Bosw. Smith, Carthage, 123. Which the crews helped by throwing overboard their valuables.
