I. val ‧ ue 1 S2 W1 /ˈvæljuː/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ valuables , ↑ value , values, ↑ valuation , ↑ valuer , ↑ overvaluation ≠ UNDERVALUATION , ↑ devaluation ; adjective : ↑ valuable , ↑ invaluable , overvalued ≠ UNDERVALUED , ↑ valueless , ↑ valued ; verb : ↑ value , ↑ devalue , ↑ overvalue ≠ ↑ undervalue ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Vulgar Latin valuta , from Latin valere ; ⇨ VALOR ]
1 . MONEY [uncountable and countable] the amount of money that something is worth
value of
The alterations doubled the value of the house.
2 . WORTH THE MONEY PAID [uncountable and countable] used to say that something is worth what you pay for it, or not worth what you pay for it
good/poor value (for money) British English a good/poor value American English :
The lunch special is really good value.
At only £45 a night, the hotel is great value for money.
value for money British English (=good value, or the quality of being good value)
Every customer is looking for value for money.
3 . IMPORTANCE/USEFULNESS [uncountable] the importance or usefulness of something
value of
A group of athletes spoke to the students about the value of a college education.
the nutritional value of cereal
be of great/little value
His research has been of little practical value.
place/put a high value on something
The Sioux Indians placed a high value on generosity.
The locket has great sentimental value (=importance because it was a gift, it reminds you of someone etc) .
4 . of value
a) worth a lot of money:
The thieves took nothing of value.
b) useful:
I hope this book will be of value to both teachers and students.
5 . INTERESTING QUALITY shock/curiosity/novelty etc value a good or interesting quality that something has because it is surprising, different, new etc:
After the initial curiosity value, the product’s sales dropped considerably.
6 . IDEAS values [plural] your ideas about what is right and wrong, or what is important in life:
a return to traditional values
Your attitudes about sex are affected by your religious and moral values.
⇨ ↑ family values
7 . AMOUNT [countable] technical a mathematical quantity shown by a letter of the alphabet or sign:
Let x have the value 25.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ verbs
▪ increase/rise/go up in value
The dollar has been steadily increasing in value.
▪ fall/go down in value
There is a risk that the shares may fall in value.
▪ double in value
The house doubled in value over two years.
▪ put a value on something (=say how much it is worth)
It’s hard to put a value on something so unusual.
▪ the value of something increases/rises
The value of the land had increased by $2m.
▪ the value of something falls
The value of your investment may fall.
▪ something holds its value (=its value does not fall over time)
Good quality furniture should hold its value.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + value
▪ high
You should insure any goods of high value.
▪ low
The low value of the dollar will benefit tourists.
▪ the market value (=the amount something can be sold for)
The mortgage is more than the house’s current market value.
▪ the monetary/cash value (=the value of something in money)
They made an attempt to assess the cash value of the contract.
▪ face value (=the value printed on something)
The tickets are selling for far more than their face value.
▪ the real value (=its value after considering inflation)
The real value of their salaries has fallen.
▪ the street value (=the amount that users will pay for illegal drugs)
Drugs with a street value of £1,600 were found in the car.
▪ property/land values
Property values have fallen sharply.
■ phrases
▪ a fall/drop in value
There was a sudden drop in the value of oil.
▪ a rise/increase in value
We saw a rapid increase in the land’s value.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say ' something is value ' or ' something is very value '. Say something is good value or something is very good value .
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ phrases
▪ of great value
These drugs are of great value in treating cancer.
▪ of little value
The information was of little value.
▪ place/put a high value on something
Our society places a high value on education.
■ adjectives
▪ lasting value (=that will be important or useful for a long time)
He wanted to achieve something of lasting value.
▪ sentimental value (=important because it was a gift, reminds you of someone etc)
The ring wasn’t expensive but had great sentimental value.
▪ nutritional value (=the amount of things that a food contains, which are good for your health)
The nutritional value of cereals can vary.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 6)
■ adjectives
▪ traditional values
He called for a return to traditional values.
▪ moral values
She had her own set of moral values.
▪ cultural/social values
a book about a clash between British and Chinese cultural values
|
The films of the time reflected these changing social values.
▪ spiritual values
We have replaced our spiritual values with materialism.
▪ human values
basic human values such as honesty, decency, and duty
▪ sb’s core values (=most basic values)
The party needs to express its core values clearly.
■ verbs
▪ hold/have values
People brought up in different times hold different social values.
▪ share sb’s values
They vote for the candidate who shares their values.
▪ uphold values
The new party was dedicated to upholding traditional values.
■ phrases
▪ a set of values
The young have a completely different set of values.
II. value 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ valuables , ↑ value , values, ↑ valuation , ↑ valuer , ↑ overvaluation ≠ UNDERVALUATION , ↑ devaluation ; adjective : ↑ valuable , ↑ invaluable , overvalued ≠ UNDERVALUED , ↑ valueless , ↑ valued ; verb : ↑ value , ↑ devalue , ↑ overvalue ≠ ↑ undervalue ]
1 . to think that someone or something is important:
Shelley valued her privacy.
value somebody/something for something
Mr. Yeo valued Jan for her hard work.
2 . [usually passive] to decide how much money something is worth, by comparing it with similar things:
We decided to get the house valued.
value something at something
Paintings valued at over $200,000 were stolen from her home.
—valued adjective :
a valued friend