Etymologically
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desirable

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 16:35. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dɪˈzaɪəɹəbəl/ (UK); /dɪˈzaɪɹəbəl/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English desirable, borrowed from Old French desirable,[2][3][4] from desirer (“to desire”) (see desire) and -able,[2][3] suggested by Latin dēsīderābilis, from dēsīderō (“to desire”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Worthy to be desired: 1382 in the OED, the late 14th century in Etymonline.[5][2] In Middle English it sometimes meant desired, hoped for, welcome.[2]

Semantic evolution

Regrettable is a sense from 1650,[5] and full of desire an obsolete one from 1759.[5] The noun, a desirable thing, is from 1645,[5][3] and a desirable person from 1669.[5] Arousing sexual desire is a later sense,[6][7] and a desirable residence is the language of estate agents.[7]

Timeline

  • 1382 – worthy to be desired.[5]
  • 1645 – a desirable (noun).[5][3]
  • 1650 – regrettable (obsolete).[5]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Worth having or seeking; useful, advantageous or pleasing.
  2. Advisable: it is desirable that you attend.
  3. Sexually attractive.

Noun

  1. A desirable person or thing.

Word family

  • desirability
  • desirably
  • desirableness

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  7. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins