precious

1 of 2

adjective

pre·​cious ˈpre-shəs How to pronounce precious (audio)
1
: of great value or high price
precious jewels
2
: highly esteemed or cherished
a precious friend
3
: excessively refined : affected entry 2
precious manners
4
: great, thoroughgoing
a precious scoundrel
preciousness noun

precious

2 of 2

adverb

: very, extremely
has precious little to say

Examples of precious in a Sentence

Adjective That so many of China's cleverest and most creative men and women had to sell their books and their most precious carvings and family seals to keep themselves alive, while corpulent nationalists and their friends dined well in local banquet halls, gave them some right to schadenfreude. Simon Winchester, The Man Who Loved China, 2008
Of course, the war pronounces on us all. Some precious glee we seek is absent, the season less substantial, less likeable. Richard Ford, Wall Street Journal, 14-15 June 2008
The world is, as usual, a frightening place to enter for all save the precious few impaired by inherited security. David Mamet, True and False, 1997
… and, though to him those precious moments at the end of each day had symbolized the realization of his every hope, to her they had meant not a goddamn thing. Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
diamonds and other precious stones We can save precious time by taking this shortcut. They were able to be together for only a few precious hours. the family's most precious moments Adverb She had precious little to say. There are precious few hours of sunlight left.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Still, in contrast to the hardships of filming, the cast were relieved to find the creative process refreshingly collaborative, given White isn’t precious about his words. Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025 For many, this includes exploring the world and to experience some of its most precious and fascinating wildlife, landscapes, cultures and ancient sites. Roger Sands, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025 Choose from 12 precious watercolor flower designs for a unique, cozy gift that looks good on any body type. Annie Blackman, Allure, 24 Jan. 2025 Still, 23 non-roster invitees will invade the Astros’ major-league clubhouse in hopes of opening eyes or winning one of the few precious Opening Day spots still available. Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for precious 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Adverb

Middle English, from Anglo-French precios, from Latin pretiosus, from pretium price — more at price entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1595, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of precious was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near precious

Cite this Entry

“Precious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precious. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

precious

adjective
pre·​cious
ˈpresh-əs
1
: of great value or high price
diamonds and other precious stones
2
: greatly loved : dear
precious memories
preciously adverb
preciousness noun
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English precious "of great value," from early French precios (same meaning), from Latin pretiosus (same meaning), from pretium "price, money" — related to price

More from Merriam-Webster on precious

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!