at a premium
idiom
1
: for a high price
Land in the county is selling at a premium.
Rooms with a view are available, but they come at a premium.
2
: difficult to get because there is little available
We bought bunk beds because space in the apartment is at a premium.
Examples of at a premium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Which means this summer, water may be at a premium in Aurora if city leaders decide to go into drought protocols.
—
Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2026
If Cincinnati handles linebacker in free agency, Delane would be the ideal pick for a team not in need of an immediate starter but grabbing the top player at a premium position.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
When California’s specialized gasoline trades at a premium, particularly during refinery outages, Gulf Coast refiners can capture higher margins by sending barrels west, De Haan said.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
It was designed to acquire middle- and low-income apartment complexes on floating rate loans for properties that were underperforming with the promise they could be fixed up, marketed and better managed to return more profit before being sold off at a premium.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for at a premium
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Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2026
If Cincinnati handles linebacker in free agency, Delane would be the ideal pick for a team not in need of an immediate starter but grabbing the top player at a premium position.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
When California’s specialized gasoline trades at a premium, particularly during refinery outages, Gulf Coast refiners can capture higher margins by sending barrels west, De Haan said.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
It was designed to acquire middle- and low-income apartment complexes on floating rate loans for properties that were underperforming with the promise they could be fixed up, marketed and better managed to return more profit before being sold off at a premium.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for at a premium
Cite this Entry
“At a premium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20a%20premium. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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