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
costlessly
adverb
cost; costing
1
: to require expenditure or payment
The best goods cost more.
2
: to require effort, suffering, or loss
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
ˈkä-stəd 
: to estimate or set the cost of
—often used with out
: to estimate or set the cost of
—often used with outThe project has yet to be costed out.
Examples of cost in a Sentence
Noun
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?
Verb
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 on the Web
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 July 2025
Shriners Hospitals for Children have also alleviated the financial burden on the Petersons by covering the costs of Hadley's medical procedures, some of which would normally cost tens of thousands of dollars.
—Analisa Novak, CBS News, 14 July 2025
Jordan Galloway, SELF, 15 July 2025
Basic options typically cost $30 or less while midrange models go for roughly $50-$100.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cost
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
In an interview, Missouri State senior associate athletic director Casey Hunt made no bones about the fact that the stunt/A&T twofer was a gender-equity play, noting the relatively low cost and high roster capacity of both sports, especially post-House.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 July 2025
Shriners Hospitals for Children have also alleviated the financial burden on the Petersons by covering the costs of Hadley's medical procedures, some of which would normally cost tens of thousands of dollars.
—Analisa Novak, CBS News, 14 July 2025
Verb
If you’re just getting started with rebounding and want something compact and easy to use (that doesn’t cost a small fortune), here’s a smart entry point.
—Jordan Galloway, SELF, 15 July 2025
Basic options typically cost $30 or less while midrange models go for roughly $50-$100.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cost
Cite this Entry
“Cost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cost. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cost
2 of 2 verb
cost; costing
1
: to have a price of : require payment of
each ticket costs one dollar
2
: to cause one to pay, spend, or lose
mistakes cost him his job
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