English Dictionary

PRECIOUSNESS

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

 Dictionary entry overview: What does preciousness mean? 

PRECIOUSNESS (noun)
  The noun PRECIOUSNESS has 3 senses:

1. the quality possessed by something with a great price or valueplay

2. the positive quality of being precious and beyond valueplay

3. the quality of being fastidious or excessively refinedplay

  Familiarity information: PRECIOUSNESS used as a noun is uncommon.


 Dictionary entry details 


PRECIOUSNESS (noun)


Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality possessed by something with a great price or value

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

costliness; dearness; preciousness

Hypernyms ("preciousness" is a kind of...):

expensiveness (the quality of being high-priced)

Derivation:

precious (of high worth or cost)


Sense 2

Meaning:

The positive quality of being precious and beyond value

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

invaluableness; preciousness; pricelessness; valuableness

Hypernyms ("preciousness" is a kind of...):

value (the quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "preciousness"):

gold (something likened to the metal in brightness or preciousness or superiority etc.)

Derivation:

precious (characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for)


Sense 3

Meaning:

The quality of being fastidious or excessively refined

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

preciosity; preciousness

Hypernyms ("preciousness" is a kind of...):

affectedness (the quality of being false or artificial (as to impress others))

Derivation:

precious (obviously contrived to charm)


 Context examples 


He handled the sack lovingly, and with due appreciation of its preciousness carried it out to his sled.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"Brain is better than brawn." (English proverb)

"After dark all cats are leopards." (Native American proverb, Zuni)

"When you are dead, your sister's tears will dry as time goes on, your widow's tears will cease in another's arms, but your mother will mourn you until she dies." (Arabic proverb)

"The maquis has no eyes, but it sees all." (Corsican proverb)



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