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n. 1. An amount, as of goods, services, or money, considered to be a fair and suitable equivalent for something else; a fair price or return. 2. Monetary or material worth: the fluctuating value of gold and silver. 3. Worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor; utility or merit: the value of an education. 4. often values A principle or standard, as of behavior, that is considered important or desirable: "The speech was a summons back to the patrician values of restraint and responsibility" (Jonathan Alter). 5. Precise meaning or import, as of a word. 6. Mathematics A quantity or number expressed by an algebraic term. 7. Music The relative duration of a tone or rest. 8. The relative darkness or lightness of a color. See Table at color. 9. Linguistics The sound quality of a letter or diphthong. 10. One of a series of specified values: issued a stamp of new value. tr.v. val·ued, val·u·ing, val·ues 1. To determine or estimate the worth or value of; appraise. 3. To rate according to relative estimate of worth or desirability; evaluate: valued health above money. 4. To assign a value to (a unit of currency, for example). adj. 1. Of or relating to the practice of investing in individual securities that, according to some fundamental measure, such as book value, appear to be relatively less expensive than comparable securities. 2. Relating to or consisting of principles or standards: a value system. [Middle English, from Old French, from feminine past participle of valoir, to be strong, be worth, from Latin valēre; see wal- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] valu·er n. |
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