capital-intensive

adjective

cap·​i·​tal-in·​ten·​sive ˈka-pə-tᵊl- in-ˈten(t)-siv How to pronounce capital-intensive (audio)
ˈkap-tᵊl-
: having a high capital cost per unit of output
especially : requiring greater expenditure in the form of capital than of labor

Examples of capital-intensive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For many companies, owning the supply chain outright is too capital-intensive or impractical, particularly outside of core categories. Brian Delp, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Value stocks tend to benefit when interest rates are cut because lower borrowing costs improve profitability for capital-intensive and cyclical businesses, which make up the lion’s share of the value universe. Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2025 More capital-intensive manufacturers, on the other hand, trade at a 21x multiple. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025 However, its study has been confined to capital-intensive facilities. Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for capital-intensive

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of capital-intensive was in 1959

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Cite this Entry

“Capital-intensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capital-intensive. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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