Literary notes about Invaluable (AI summary)
In literature, "invaluable" is employed to denote an immeasurable worth that transcends conventional valuation, whether referring to tangible remedies, indispensable services, or character traits that defy simple measurement. Authors attribute the term to objects and attributes pivotal to their narratives—from life-saving remedies and critical tools ([1]) and vital personal qualities that shape court intrigues ([2]) to invaluable assistance in creative endeavors or moral instruction ([3], [4]). In such contexts, the use of "invaluable" elevates the ordinary to the realm of the extraordinary, emphasizing that some virtues or possessions possess a worth beyond that which can be calculated or replaced ([5], [6]).
- The eggs of red ants, boiled in margosa ( Melia Azadirachta ) oil, are said to be an invaluable remedy for children suffering from asthma.
— from Omens and Superstitions of Southern India by Edgar Thurston - —As we shall see later, Bourrienne was invaluable to Josephine's court for his histrionic powers, and he seems to have been a prime favourite.
— from Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812 by Emperor of the French Napoleon I - I’ll leave uncle with them, he is an invaluable person, pity I can’t introduce you to him now.
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - ‘Mr. Dick,’ said my aunt triumphantly, ‘give me your hand, for your common sense is invaluable.’
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - O Bharata, the limit and the like of the excellent and invaluable jewels that were brought there have not been seen.
— from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 - This invaluable friend was a very young woman, and very lately married.
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
