Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Impossible to estimate or compute: synonym: incalculable.
  • adjective Of immeasurable value or worth; invaluable.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Not to be estimated or com puted; beyond measure.
  • Of very great value or excellence: as, inestimable blessings.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Incapable of being estimated or computed; especially, too valuable or excellent to be measured or fully appreciated; above all price.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Not able to be estimated; not able to be calculated, computed or comprehended, as because of great scale, degree or magnitude.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective beyond calculation or measure

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French inestimable, from Latin inaestimābilis, from in ("un-”, “not") + aestimābilis ("estimable").

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Examples

  • In closing, I'll return to our national creed, what Lincoln called the inestimable jewel of American history, and offer my respect for and urge my fellow Republicans to respect every human being's rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness as much as they cherish their own.

    The Latest on Air America 2009

  • The duke's victory was certainly "inestimable" in its value to him, yet, in spite of the rigour enforced on this defeated people, they were not as crushed as they might have been had they submitted in

    Charles the Bold Last Duke of Burgundy, 1433-1477 Ruth Putnam

  • John accepted gratefully enough; but his heart was sore because, just before the row over that infernal word "inestimable," Cæsar had asked John if he would like to occupy an attic in Eaton Square.

    The Hill A Romance of Friendship Horace Annesley Vachell 1908

  • Desmond said hurriedly, "Oh, 'inestimable'; but what does it matter?"

    The Hill A Romance of Friendship Horace Annesley Vachell 1908

  • John accepted gratefully enough; but his heart was sore because, just before the row over that infernal word "inestimable," Caesar had asked John if he would like to occupy an attic in Eaton Square.

    The Hill A Romance of Friendship Horace Annesley Vachell 1908

  • The court says the value of intelligence-sharing with the US is "inestimable", but perhaps it is estimateable?

    The Guardian World News Timothy Garton Ash 2010

  • Usually I describe Politics Home as 'inestimable', but not this time boys - altogether too obvious.

    The Coffee House | Politics and News Discussion Forum 2010

  • And I was sort of non-plussed until I saw that you were able to use the word "inestimable" in a sentence.

    Waldo's Virginia Political Blogroll 2009

  • John Cheever was inordinately fond of the word "inestimable": It shows up twice in the brief preface to

    Home | The New York Observer 2009

  • John Cheever was inordinately fond of the word "inestimable": It shows up twice in the brief preface to

    Home | The New York Observer 2009

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