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

Extending the life of an existing nuclear plant is generally less capital-intensive than constructing a new one from the ground up. — Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026

The decision to use AMD graphics processors is part of an effort to ensure price competitiveness in the capital-intensive autonomous driving arena. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 July 2026

For independent rental platforms without the backing of a multi-billion-dollar parent company, building that infrastructure from scratch remains an incredibly steep, capital-intensive climb. — Angela Chan-Danisi, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Smaller, cheaper and more agile technologies are proving capable of outpacing far more complex, capital-intensive systems built for a previous era. — Kathleen “katie” McGinty, Fortune, 6 July 2026

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