available

Available is an adjective and, less commonly, an adverb in English. It describes something that can be used or obtained, or something that is free for use, access, or disposition. It can refer to objects in stock, services that can be consumed, or people who are not otherwise occupied and can be contacted or engaged. In a broader sense, it denotes readiness and accessibility.

In daily usage, the term appears in contexts such as retail, libraries, and scheduling. A product is available when it is in stock; a book is available for loan; a person is available for a meeting or interview. In technology and data, resources such as memory, servers, or datasets may be available for use or download.

Etymology and related forms. Available derives from the verb avail, with the -able suffix, tracing through Old French avail and Latin valere to the notion of usefulness or worth. The related noun is availability, and the opposite form is unavailable. The verb avail exists in phrases like "to avail oneself of" and "to avail as" meaning to be of use; in modern English, "to avail" is archaic or rare outside set phrases.

See also: availability, unavailable, avail, accessible. Notes: The sense of availability often implicates time, stock, or accessibility, and may be modulated by modifiers such as "widely available" or "readily available."