Worth vs. Value — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Urooj Arif — Updated on March 13, 2024
Worth refers to the intrinsic importance or usefulness of something, often subjective and qualitative, while value is a more quantifiable measure, reflecting the perceived or actual benefit derived from an item or service.
Difference Between Worth and Value
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Worth encompasses the inherent significance or utility of an item, concept, or action, often evaluated on a personal or subjective level. Value, on the other hand, is a more objective or quantifiable measure, reflecting the perceived or actual benefits and utility one derives from a product, service, or entity.
While worth is more about the personal or subjective significance attached to something, value tends to be driven by broader market forces, demand, and utility. However, both concepts can intersect; for example, an object with high personal worth to an individual may also hold significant market value if there is a demand for such items.
The assessment of worth is deeply personal, often influenced by individual beliefs, experiences, and emotional connections, making it a nuanced and multifaceted concept. In contrast, value is more universally applicable, as it can be measured and compared across different contexts and among different people, often through economic or performance metrics.
Understanding the difference between worth and value is crucial in various contexts, such as personal decision-making, investing, and purchasing. Recognizing the subjective worth of something can lead to more fulfilling personal choices, while understanding its value can inform more pragmatic and economically sound decisions.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Intrinsic importance or usefulness, often subjective.
Quantifiable measure of benefit or utility derived.
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Nature
Subjective and qualitative.
Objective and quantifiable.
Determined by
Personal beliefs, experiences, and emotional connections.
Market forces, demand, utility, and economic metrics.
Examples
Sentimental worth of a family heirloom.
Market value of a commodity or service.
Impact
Influences personal satisfaction and emotional fulfillment.
Affects economic decisions and market behaviors.
Compare with Definitions
Worth
Emotional significance of a gift.
The worth of her grandmother's ring was immeasurable to Sarah.
Value
Market price of an asset.
The value of gold fluctuates based on economic indicators.
Worth
Impact on quality of life.
The worth of a good night's sleep can't be overstated for health.
Value
Economic measure of worth.
The value of a college education is often debated in terms of career earnings.
Worth
Intrinsic utility of a skill.
The worth of learning to code is high in today's digital economy.
Value
Efficiency of a tool or service.
The value of a high-speed internet connection is evident in remote work.
Worth
Importance of an idea.
The worth of freedom is fundamental to democratic societies.
Value
Utility derived from a product.
The value of a durable car is in its longevity and reliability.
Worth
Personal value of an experience.
To him, the worth of a year spent traveling far outweighed its cost.
Value
Satisfaction obtained from a purchase.
The value of a meal at a restaurant includes both the food and the service.
Worth
The quality that renders something desirable, useful, or valuable
The worth of higher education.
Value
An amount, as of goods, services, or money, considered to be a fair and suitable equivalent for something else; a fair price or return.
Worth
Material or market value
Stocks having a worth of ten million dollars.
Value
Monetary or material worth
The fluctuating value of gold and silver.
Worth
A quantity of something that may be purchased for a specified sum or by a specified means
Ten dollars' worth of natural gas.
Wanted their money's worth.
Value
Worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor; utility or merit
The value of an education.
Worth
Wealth; riches
Her net worth.
Value
Often values A principle or standard, as of behavior, that is considered important or desirable
"The speech was a summons back to the patrician values of restraint and responsibility" (Jonathan Alter).
Worth
Quality that commands esteem or respect; merit
A person of great worth.
Value
Precise meaning or import, as of a word.
Worth
Equal in value to something specified
Worth its weight in gold.
Value
(Mathematics) A quantity or number expressed by an algebraic term.
Worth
Deserving of; meriting
A proposal not worth consideration.
Value
(Music) The relative duration of a tone or rest.
Worth
Having wealth or riches amounting to
A person worth millions.
Value
The relative darkness or lightness of a color. See Table at color.
Worth
To befall; betide.
Value
(Linguistics) The sound quality of a letter or diphthong.
Worth
Having a value of; proper to be exchanged for.
My house now is worth double what I paid for it.
Cleanliness is a virtue worth more than others.
A painting worth thousands.
Value
One of a series of specified values
Issued a stamp of new value.
Worth
Deserving of.
I think you’ll find my proposal worth your attention.
His friendship is not worth having.
Value
To determine or estimate the worth or value of; appraise.
Worth
Valuable, worthwhile.
Value
To regard highly; esteem
I value your advice.
Worth
Making a fair equivalent of, repaying or compensating.
This job is hardly worth the effort.
Value
To rate according to relative estimate of worth or desirability; evaluate
Valued health above money.
Worth
(countable) Value.
I’ll have a dollar's worth of candy, please.
They have proven their worths as individual fighting men and their worth as a unit.
Stocks having a worth of two million pounds
Value
To assign a value to (a unit of currency, for example).
Worth
(uncountable) Merit, excellence.
Our new director is a man whose worth is well acknowledged.
Value
Of or relating to the practice of investing in individual securities that, according to some fundamental measure, such as book value, appear to be relatively less expensive than comparable securities.
Worth
(uncountable) Wealth, fortune, riches, property, possessions.
Value
Relating to or consisting of principles or standards
A value system.
Worth
(uncountable) An amount that could be achieved or produced in a specified time.
Value
The quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable.
The Shakespearean Shylock is of dubious value in the modern world.
Worth
High social standing, noble rank.
Value
(uncountable) The degree of importance given to something.
The value of my children's happiness is second only to that of my wife.
Worth
To be, become, betide.
Woe worth the man that crosses me.
Value
That which is valued or highly esteemed, such as one's morals, morality, or belief system.
He does not share his parents' values.
Family values
Worth
To be; to become; to betide; - now used only in the phrases, woe worth the day, woe worth the man, etc., in which the verb is in the imperative, and the nouns day, man, etc., are in the dative. Woe be to the day, woe be to the man, etc., are equivalent phrases.
I counsel . . . to let the cat worthe.
He worth upon [got upon] his steed gray.
Value
The amount (of money or goods or services) that is considered to be a fair equivalent for something else.
Worth
Valuable; of worthy; estimable; also, worth while.
It was not worth to make it wise.
Value
(music) The relative duration of a musical note.
The value of a crotchet is twice that of a quaver.
Worth
Equal in value to; furnishing an equivalent for; proper to be exchanged for.
A ring he hath of mine worth forty ducats.
All our doings without charity are nothing worth.
If your arguments produce no conviction, they are worth nothing to me.
Value
(arts) The relative darkness or lightness of a color in (a specific area of) a painting etc.
Worth
Deserving of; - in a good or bad sense, but chiefly in a good sense.
To reign is worth ambition, though in hell.
This is life indeed, life worth preserving.
Value
Any definite numerical quantity or other mathematical object, determined by being measured, computed, or otherwise defined.
The exact value of pi cannot be represented in decimal notation.
Worth
Having possessions equal to; having wealth or estate to the value of.
At Geneva are merchants reckoned worth twenty hundred crowns.
Value
Precise meaning; import.
The value of a word; the value of a legal instrument
Worth
That quality of a thing which renders it valuable or useful; sum of valuable qualities which render anything useful and sought; value; hence, often, value as expressed in a standard, as money; equivalent in exchange; price.
What 's worth in anythingBut so much money as 't will bring?
Value
(in the plural) The valuable ingredients to be obtained by treating a mass or compound; specifically, the precious metals contained in rock, gravel, etc.
The vein carries good values.
The values on the hanging walls
Worth
Value in respect of moral or personal qualities; excellence; virtue; eminence; desert; merit; usefulness; as, a man or magistrate of great worth.
To be of worth, and worthy estimation.
As none but she, who in that court did dwell,Could know such worth, or worth describe so well.
To think how modest worth neglected lies.
Value
(obsolete) Esteem; regard.
Worth
An indefinite quantity of something having a specified value;
10 dollars worth of gasoline
Value
(obsolete) Valour; also spelled valew.
Worth
The quality that renders something desirable or valuable or useful
Value
To estimate the value of; judge the worth of something.
I will have the family jewels valued by a professional.
Worth
French couturier (born in England) regarded as the founder of Parisian haute couture; noted for introducing the bustle (1825-1895)
Value
To fix or determine the value of; assign a value to, as of jewelry or art work.
Worth
Having sufficient worth;
An idea worth considering
A cause deserving or meriting support
The deserving poor
Value
To regard highly; think much of; place importance upon.
Gold was valued highly among the Romans.
Worth
Having a specified value;
Not worth his salt
Worth her weight in gold
Value
To hold dear.
I value these old photographs.
Value
The property or aggregate properties of a thing by which it is rendered useful or desirable, or the degree of such property or sum of properties; worth; excellence; utility; importance.
Ye are all physicians of no value.
Ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Cæsar is well acquainted with your virtue,And therefore sets this value on your life.
Before events shall have decided on the value of the measures.
Value
Worth estimated by any standard of purchasing power, especially by the market price, or the amount of money agreed upon as an equivalent to the utility and cost of anything.
An article may be possessed of the highest degree of utility, or power to minister to our wants and enjoyments, and may be universally made use of, without possessing exchangeable value.
Value is the power to command commodities generally.
Value is the generic term which expresses power in exchange.
His design was not to pay him the value of his pictures, because they were above any price.
Value
Precise signification; import; as, the value of a word; the value of a legal instrument
Value
Esteem; regard.
My relation to the person was so near, and my value for him so great
Value
The relative length or duration of a tone or note, answering to quantity in prosody; thus, a quarter note [ ] has the value of two eighth notes [ ].
Value
In an artistical composition, the character of any one part in its relation to other parts and to the whole; - often used in the plural; as, the values are well given, or well maintained.
Value
Valor.
Value
That property of a color by which it is distinguished as bright or dark; luminosity.
Value
Any particular quantitative determination; as, a function's value for some special value of its argument.
Value
The valuable ingredients to be obtained by treatment from any mass or compound; specif., the precious metals contained in rock, gravel, or the like; as, the vein carries good values; the values on the hanging walls.
Value
To estimate the value, or worth, of; to rate at a certain price; to appraise; to reckon with respect to number, power, importance, etc.
The mind doth value every moment.
The queen is valued thirty thousand strong.
The king must take it ill,That he's so slightly valued in his messenger.
Neither of them valued their promises according to rules of honor or integrity.
Value
To rate highly; to have in high esteem; to hold in respect and estimation; to appreciate; to prize; as, to value one for his works or his virtues.
Which of the dukes he values most.
Value
To raise to estimation; to cause to have value, either real or apparent; to enhance in value.
Some value themselves to their country by jealousies of the crown.
Value
To be worth; to be equal to in value.
The peace between the French and us not valuesThe cost that did conclude it.
Value
A numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed;
The value assigned was 16 milliseconds
Value
The quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable;
The Shakespearean Shylock is of dubious value in the modern world
Value
The amount (of money or goods or services) that is considered to be a fair equivalent for something else;
He tried to estimate the value of the produce at normal prices
Value
Relative darkness or lightness of a color;
I establish the colors and principal values by organizing the painting into three values--dark, medium...and light
Value
(music) the relative duration of a musical note
Value
An ideal accepted by some individual or group;
He has old-fashioned values
Value
Fix or determine the value of; assign a value to;
Value the jewelry and art work in the estate
Value
Hold dear;
I prize these old photographs
Value
Regard highly; think much of;
I respect his judgement
We prize his creativity
Value
Place a value on; judge the worth of something;
I will have the family jewels appraised by a professional
Value
Estimate the value of;
How would you rate his chances to become President?
Gold was rated highly among the Romans
Common Curiosities
Can something have high worth but low value?
Yes, an item can have high worth to an individual due to personal or emotional reasons but low market value due to lack of demand or utility.
How do worth and value differ in decision-making?
In decision-making, worth involves considering personal significance and emotional fulfillment, while value focuses on practical benefits, efficiency, and economic factors.
How can individuals assess the worth of their choices?
Individuals can assess the worth of their choices by reflecting on their personal values, the significance of outcomes, and the emotional fulfillment derived from those choices.
What defines value?
Value is defined as the quantifiable measure of the benefits, utility, or satisfaction derived from an item or service, often influenced by market conditions.
What role does market demand play in determining value?
Market demand significantly influences value by affecting the perceived utility and desirability of an item or service, thereby impacting its price and economic worth.
What influences the value of a service?
The value of a service is influenced by its effectiveness, the quality of outcomes it produces, and its overall contribution to meeting a user's needs or solving a problem.
What is worth?
Worth refers to the intrinsic importance, utility, or significance of something, often evaluated on a subjective and personal level.
How is the worth of an experience evaluated?
The worth of an experience is evaluated based on its impact on personal growth, happiness, and fulfillment, which varies greatly among individuals.
Why is understanding both worth and value important?
Understanding both worth and value is important for making informed decisions that balance personal fulfillment with economic pragmatism, leading to both personal satisfaction and practical benefits.
Is value always monetary?
While value often has a monetary aspect, it can also encompass non-monetary benefits such as satisfaction, efficiency, and utility.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
