Eligible
What it means
Meeting the stated conditions for an opportunity, right, or benefit.
Reach for it when confirming qualification under a clear set of rules
Every eligible household may apply for the winter heating grant.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| professional |
|
| formal |
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playful
in the running
Fits when continued consideration can be described informally
Careful The idiom implies competition and does not prove formal eligibility.
-
everyday
Fits when a person or option can actually be chosen now
Careful Available concerns access or timing, not qualification.
-
everyday
Fits when practical fit matters more than formal rules
Careful A suitable person may be ineligible under the stated criteria.
-
professional
Fits when skill, credentials, or formal conditions are satisfied
Careful Qualified often implies competence, while eligibility may depend on age or residence.
-
formal
admissible
Fits when rules permit entry, evidence, or a claim
Careful Admissible is legalistic; a permitted candidate is not necessarily selected.
-
formal
entitled
Fits when a right to receive something has already arisen
Careful Entitled can sound morally critical and is stronger than merely allowed to apply.
Opposites 4
- ineligible
- disqualified
- barred
- unqualified
Common phrases 3
-
eligible applicant
Each eligible applicant receives the same interview information.
-
eligible for support
Seasonal workers are eligible for support under the revised rule.
-
become eligible
Residents become eligible after six months in the district.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated