Plural of eligible; people or things that are fit to be chosen or selected.
From eligible (adjective) used as a noun + -s (plural). In English, adjectives can become nouns referring to people with that quality.
The word 'eligibles' was especially popular in 19th-century society columns describing young unmarried women considered 'eligible' for marriage—a reminder that who gets to be 'eligible' reflects each era's values and prejudices.
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