cost-effective

adjective

cost-ef·​fec·​tive ˈkȯst-ə-ˈfek-tiv 

-ˌfek-

: producing good results without costing a lot of money

cost-effective measures to combat poverty

Robot spot welding can be quite cost-effective …

—Harry H. Poole

cost-effectiveness noun

Examples of cost-effective in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The next several years will show whether humanoid robots do indeed prove cost-effective in comparison to their specialized industrial robot counterparts and human workers. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026

Using existing regulatory reviews is also much more cost-effective than hiring experienced reviewers and vetting an experimental therapy internally. — C. Michael White, The Conversation, 15 July 2026

The Joint Force seeks a cost-effective, theater-range, massed, and modular Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to provide a flexible, operationally-responsive, risk-tolerant option in the air domain. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 2026

Saudi Arabia more recently reportedly made a discreet acquisition of Pantsir-S1s beginning in 2021, most likely to provide a more cost-effective defense against drone attacks originating from the Houthis in Yemen at that time. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cost-effective

• imperfective
• ineffective
• intellective
• introspective
• irrespective
• nondirective
• nonselective
• retrospective
• unreflective
• advective
• affective
• collective