capital-intensive

adjective

cap·​i·​tal-in·​ten·​sive ˈka-pə-tᵊl- in-ˈten(t)-siv 

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

In a world where long-term predictability is eroding, capital-intensive investments are becoming increasingly risky. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025

Similarly, most capital-intensive textile machinery has not been made in the United States for nearly two decades. —Kimberly Glas, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025

Their energy supplies and huge sovereign wealth funds help underwrite America’s competitive edge over China in energy and capital-intensive industries of the future—AI, cloud computing, and the mining and processing of rare-earth minerals. —Firas Maksad, Time, 25 Sep. 2025

The platform model transforms what were once capital-intensive AI capabilities into pay-as-you-go services. —Sajal Singh, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for capital-intensive

• antihypertensive
• apprehensive
• coextensive
• comprehensive
• hypertensive
• hypotensive
• inexpensive
• inoffensive
• normotensive
• counteroffensive
• defensive
• expensive