desirability
|de-si-ra-bi-li-ty|
🇺🇸
/dɪˌzaɪərəˈbɪləti/
🇬🇧
/dɪˌzaɪərəˈbɪlɪti/
quality of being wanted
Etymology
'desirability' originates from English, specifically formed from the adjective 'desirable' plus the suffix '-ity', where the suffix '-ity' meant 'state or condition'.
'desirability' traces back through Middle English 'desirable' (from Old French 'desirable') to Latin 'desiderabilis' and the verb 'desiderare' (to desire). The modern noun was formed in English by adding '-ity' to 'desirable'.
Initially related to the act or state of being desired ('to long for' from Latin 'desiderare'), the term evolved to denote the general 'state or quality of being desirable' or the measure of desirability in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being desirable; the extent to which something is wanted or considered attractive or appropriate.
They questioned the desirability of introducing the new policy.
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Noun 2
a measure or score indicating how suitable or preferable an option is (used in technical contexts, e.g., decision analysis or statistics).
The desirability scores were used to rank the project proposals.
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Last updated: 2025/12/22 11:27