The value of something is how much it's worth or how important it is. When you're deciding which books to pack for a long trip, you think about their value to you: which ones will you actually read and enjoy? When a store puts items on sale, it's changing their price, but not necessarily their value, because value isn't always about money.

Value can mean monetary worth. A rare baseball card might have a value of $500, meaning that's what someone would pay for it. But value often goes deeper than dollars. A worn stuffed animal might have little monetary value but enormous personal value to the child who's had it since birth. Your grandmother's recipe card has value not because you could sell it, but because of the memories and connection it represents.

In math, value means the number that a symbol or variable represents. In the equation x + 3 = 7, the value of x is 4.

Values (plural) are the principles and beliefs that guide how someone acts and makes decisions. If honesty is one of your values, you tell the truth even when lying would be easier. If someone values education, they prioritize learning and take their schoolwork seriously. A person's values often come from their family, culture, and experiences. They're like an invisible compass that points toward what that person thinks matters most in life.