EL'IGIBLE, adjective [Latin eligo, to choose or select; e and lego.] 1. Fit to be chosen; worthy of choice, preferable. In deep distress, certainty is more eligible than suspense. 2. Suitable; proper; desirable; as, the house stands in an eligible situation. 3. Legally qualified to be chosen; as, a man is or is not eligible to an office.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI