cost

play

noun \ ˈkȯst \

Definition of cost

1 a :the amount or equivalent paid or charged for something :price

The average cost of a college education has gone up dramatically.

b :the outlay or expenditure (as of effort or sacrifice) made to achieve an object

He achieved fame, but at the cost of losing several friends.

2 :loss or penalty incurred especially in gaining something

the cost of lives during war

3 costs plural :expenses incurred in a judicial process; especially :those given by the law or the court to the prevailing party against the losing party

—

costless

play \ˈkȯst-ləs\ adjective

—

costlessly

adverb

— at all costs

:regardless of the cost or consequences

was determined to win at all costs

— at cost

:for the price of production

buys clothes at cost directly from the manufacturer

See cost defined for English-language learners

See cost defined for kids

Examples of cost in a Sentence

She attends college at a cost of $15,000 a year.
The average cost of raising a family has increased dramatically.
We offer services at a fraction of the cost of other companies.
What's the difference in cost?
They believe that everyone should have access to adequate medical care, regardless of cost.
The cost of doing business in this area is high.
We need better cost control.
Winning the war, he believes, was worth the cost in lives.
What are the costs and benefits of the new law?

Recent Examples of cost from the Web

The Dolphins’ last trip to London cost Joe Philbin his job.

— adam h. beasley, miamiherald, "Predicting the 2017 Dolphins season: A game-by-game breakdown," 30 Aug. 2017
Last year, the Pentagon commissioned a study by the non-partisan RAND Corp. to examine the effects on military readiness of allowing transgender troops to serve openly and the cost of providing them medical treatment.

— tom vanden brook, The Courier-Journal, "Mattis freezes transgender policy; allows troops to continue serving, pending study," 29 Aug. 2017
The cost of the eight- to ten-course menu at EMP's new iteration will remain at $295 and a five-course bar tasting menu will be available for $155, with gratuity included.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "Eleven Madison Park Is Reopening in October," 25 Aug. 2017
But the human cost of a border wall doesn’t stop at the structure itself.

— raúl carrillo, alan aja, Teen Vogue, "The Immorality of Trump's Border Wall, Explained," 23 Aug. 2017
Families who hire Cognition Builders might view the cost as a line-item equivalent to the upkeep of a vacation home in Aspen or renting out Madison Square Garden for a birthday party.

— kim brooks, The Cut, "Parents Who Pay to Be Watched," 22 Aug. 2017
Single-handedly footing the $20-million bill, the Reynolds Foundation donated $10 million in additional funds to cover the cost of taking the Lansdowne on a crosscountry road trip while the museum was being upgraded.

— ryan p. smith, Smithsonian, "The Fused History of Two of Washington, D.C.’s Beloved Museums," 22 Aug. 2017
A 2015 investigation by Consumer Reports found that a basket of organic produce fruits, vegetables, meat and milk cost 47 percent more than a comparable selection of conventional food.

— deborah sullivan brennan, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "Encinitas farm stand provides pay-what-you-can organics," 21 Aug. 2017
There’s been almost no discussion of the underlying health care delivery system changes that the ACA ushered in, and … that’s what’s going to determine the underlying costs and outcomes of the health system.

— Cincinnati.com, "Under Trump, Tristate hospitals face same penalties embraced by Obama," 21 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cost.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cost

see ²cost

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

cost Synonyms

Synonyms

charge, expense, disbursement, expenditure, outgo, outlay

Related Words

overhead; outflow; pocket money, spending money; price, rate, tab, tariff, toll

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

cost

verb

Definition of cost

cost; costing

intransitive verb

1 :to require expenditure or payment

The best goods cost more.

2 :to require effort, suffering, or loss

transitive verb

1 :to have a price of

Each ticket costs 25 dollars.

2 :to cause to pay, suffer, or lose something

Frequent absences cost him his job.

3 past costed play \ˈkä-stəd\ :to estimate or set the cost of —often used with out

The project has yet to be costed out.

See cost defined for English-language learners

Examples of cost in a Sentence

The trip will cost you about $100 each way.
The project will end up costing the government an estimated 3.5 billion dollars.
It will cost you a lot of money, but it'll be worth it.
His frequent absences ended up costing him his job.
The error cost me a reprimand, but nothing more serious than that.
a blunder that has cost her considerable embarrassment

Recent Examples of cost from the Web

President Donald Trump’s threat to shut down the U.S. government to secure funding for a Mexican border wall could quickly cost the economy more than the price tag for construction.

— randy woods, Bloomberg.com, "Government Shutdown Costs Could Exceed Trump's $12 Billion Wall," 30 Aug. 2017
A hygiene kit is $13, a bedding kit is $50 and a cleanup kits costs $65.

— Naperville Sun, "How you can help Harvey victims," 30 Aug. 2017
When Nader invaded Delhi in 1739, the ensuing carnage cost tens of thousands of lives and the depletion of the treasury.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The True Story of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond—And Why the British Won’t Give It Back," 30 Aug. 2017
The incentive will cost an estimated $1.1 million and impacts employees, including police officers, who have worked for the city for at least seven years, according to the office of Birmingham Mayor William Bell.

— erin edgemon, AL.com, "Longevity pay for long-time Birmingham city employees could be back in 2018 budget," 29 Aug. 2017
Infield parking will cost $10 and tickets are available at www.kansasspeedway.com.

— tod palmer, kansascity, "Kansas Speedway green lights October drag race after previous cancellation," 26 Aug. 2017
According to the site, the Leight Star costs around $85,000 to rent for one week, NBD.

— diana bruk, Cosmopolitan, "Everything You Need to Know About Selena Gomez and The Weeknd’s Relationship," 24 Aug. 2017
In contrast, Kim Kardashian’s beauty routine only costs $2,000 (though who knows how much her makeup artists make hourly).

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "How to Do Your Makeup Like a French President," 24 Aug. 2017
The betrayal costs Ryan his speakership, the GOP descends into a civil war, and tax reform dies in utero.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "The Republican Budget Fight, Explained in 5 Minutes," 24 Aug. 2017

Origin and Etymology of cost

Middle English, from Anglo-French custer, couster, from Latin constare to stand firm, cost — more at constant

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

cost Synonyms

Synonyms

bring, fetch, go (for), run, sell (for)

Related Words

list (for); amount (to), come (to), total; command, exact; ask, demand

COST Defined for English Language Learners

cost

play

noun

Definition of cost for English Language Learners

: the price of something : the amount of money that is needed to pay for or buy something
: an amount of money that must be spent regularly to pay for something (such as running a business or raising a family)
: something that is lost, damaged, or given up in order to achieve or get something

cost

verb

Definition of cost for English Language Learners

: to have (an amount of money) as a price
: to cause (someone) to pay an amount of money
: to cause (someone) to lose something

COST Defined for Kids

cost

play

verb \ ˈkȯst \

Definition of cost for Students

cost; costing

1 :to have a price of

He bought a ticket costing one dollar.

2 :to cause the payment, spending, or loss of

Being lazy cost me my job.

cost

noun

Definition of cost for Students

1 :the amount paid or charged for something :price

2 :loss or penalty involved in gaining something

Losing my friends was the cost of moving.

Law Dictionary

cost

noun

legal Definition of cost

1 :the amount or equivalent paid or charged for something

2 plural :expenses incurred in litigation; especially :those given by the law or the court to the prevailing party against the losing party

Learn More about cost

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cost Spanish Central: Translation of cost Nglish: Translation of cost for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cost for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cost

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cost

Definition of cost

costless

costlessly

From the M-W Editors

Examples of cost in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cost from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cost

cost Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Economics Terms

cost

Definition of cost

Examples of cost in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cost from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cost

cost Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

COST Defined for English Language Learners

cost

Definition of cost for English Language Learners

cost

Definition of cost for English Language Learners

COST Defined for Kids

cost

Definition of cost for Students

cost

Definition of cost for Students

Law Dictionary

cost

legal Definition of cost

Learn More about cost

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