el·i·gi·ble
ˈe-lə-jə-bəl 
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
plural eligibles
: a person or thing that is qualified or permitted to do or be something : one that is eligible for something
As with the College of Cardinals and the papacy, where every cardinal, in theory, is eligible to be Pope but the number of real eligibles is substantially smaller, so with the American Presidency.—
Stephen R. Graubard
Stephen R. Graubard… when she entered life, beautiful, accomplished, and an heiress, she had, of course, all the eligibles … of the other sex sighing at her feet …—Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher StoweExamples of eligible in a Sentence
Adjective
… 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
I'd like to join but I'm not eligible yet.
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
I'd like to join but I'm not eligible yet.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
The 2024 first base class will likely include St. Louis Cardinals Paul Goldschmidt, who at 37, is seven years older than Alonso.
New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo, 35, is also eligible for free agency.
—Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Dallas News, 3 Jan. 2023
New Mexico State Bowl eligible before Saturday thanks to an NCAA waiver granted earlier this week, the Aggies completed an impressive six-win finish under new coach Jerry Kill by beating Valparaiso 65-3 in a rescheduled season finale.
—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for eligible 
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Adjective
Thirty-three states will be eligible for the settlement payout, which still needs to be submitted to and approved by a state court judge in each state.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
The 2024 first base class will likely include St. Louis Cardinals Paul Goldschmidt, who at 37, is seven years older than Alonso.
New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo, 35, is also eligible for free agency.
—Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
Of the 28 Modern-Era semifinalists, five are first-year eligible which includes cornerback Darrelle Revis, tackle Joe Thomas and guard Jahri Evans.
—Dallas News, 3 Jan. 2023
New Mexico State Bowl eligible before Saturday thanks to an NCAA waiver granted earlier this week, the Aggies completed an impressive six-win finish under new coach Jerry Kill by beating Valparaiso 65-3 in a rescheduled season finale.
—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for eligible
Dictionary Entries Near eligible
Cite this Entry
“Eligible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eligible. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
eligible
adjective
el·i·gi·ble
ˈel-ə-jə-bəl
: qualified to be chosen or to participate
eligible to vote
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