priceless

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "priceless" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it in a sentence to refer to something that priceless and has an intangible value, such as the love of a family. Example: The family's love for each other is truly priceless.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

His leadership is also priceless in a competition as mentally tough as a World Cup, and his experience in Serie A is evident in the way he orientates the team.

The Guardian - Sport

Then people told me it was a famous international artist and is priceless.

The Guardian

Bilardi managed to find moral perfection in beheadings, sexual slavery and attacks on priceless artefacts from the past.

The Guardian

With the second leg to be played on the plastic pitch at Boundary Park, Leeds' late goal was priceless, although they had in fact been only one of two teams to win at Oldham in the regular league season.

The Guardian - Sport

However, as the same task confronts the Lib Dems, do we not now have a priceless opportunity to bring the two parties together to undertake a fundamental rethink of the way social democratic principles and policies can be made relevant to modern society.

The Guardian

"The Great Barrier Reef is priceless but it is being treated like it's a worthless.

The Guardian

On the night Germany beat the Dutch, his analysis of the incident was peerless and priceless.

The Guardian - Sport

Australia's oldest newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald, has lost control of parts of its priceless photographic collection after a cut-price deal with an American businessman to digitise the historic Fairfax archive went spectacularly wrong.

The Guardian

Earlier this year, as he and co-stars addressed the media to promote the film The Monuments Men – which tells the story of how a team of allied men and women helped recover priceless artworks stolen by the Nazis – Clooney took the audience by surprise when he said the sculptures belonged to Athens.

The Guardian - Arts

Whiplash is a film which had generated enormous audience enthusiasm and priceless word-of-mouth: its easily summarised, unusual-but-not-too-unusual premise is a great hook: the sadistic teacher torments the highly-strung jazz-drummer.

The Guardian - Film

BBC News was salivating to attack itself: a remarkable sign of the priceless singularity of the BBC.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "priceless" to describe things that have a value that cannot be measured in terms of money, such as memories, experiences, or relationships.

Common error

Avoid using "priceless" when you actually mean something is very expensive. "Priceless" indicates something whose value is beyond monetary measure, not simply something costly.

Linguistic Context

The word "priceless" primarily functions as an adjective. It modifies nouns to describe something that is so valuable or unique that it cannot be assigned a monetary value. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

The Economist

32%

The Guardian

31%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the adjective "priceless" describes something so valuable that its worth cannot be measured in monetary terms. Ludwig AI confirms that it's grammatically correct and widely used in various contexts, particularly in News & Media. When using "priceless", remember that it emphasizes intrinsic value rather than high cost; alternatives include "invaluable" or "irreplaceable". Be mindful of not misusing the word to define things that are just expensive. It's more accurate to define feelings or unique objects instead.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

invaluable

Indicates something of such great value that it is beyond calculation, often used in formal contexts.

irreplaceable

Focuses on the uniqueness and impossibility of replacing something if it were lost or damaged.

beyond measure

Emphasizes that the value cannot be quantified or fully appreciated.

of great worth

A more formal and understated way of expressing high value.

unquantifiable

Highlights the inability to assign a specific numerical value.

highly cherished

Emphasizes the emotional value and the act of treasuring something.

utterly precious

Stresses the delicacy and high regard for the item or concept.

impossible to replace

Similar to "irreplaceable" but uses a more descriptive phrasing.

extremely valuable

A more straightforward way of indicating high monetary or intrinsic value.

worth more than money can buy

Emphasizes that the value transcends monetary worth.

FAQs

How can I use "priceless" in a sentence?

You can use "priceless" to describe something of such high value that it cannot be bought or replaced, such as "The memories from that trip are truly priceless".

What is a good alternative to using "priceless"?

Alternatives to "priceless" include "invaluable", "irreplaceable", or "beyond measure", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say something is "literally priceless"?

While technically redundant since "priceless" already implies something without a price, using "literally priceless" can add emphasis, though it's often better to rephrase for clarity. Alternatives such as "truly invaluable" may be more effective.

What's the difference between "priceless" and "expensive"?

"Priceless" refers to something whose value transcends monetary worth, while "expensive" simply means something costs a lot of money. For example, a rare painting might be considered "priceless", while a luxury car is merely "expensive".