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
see also at all costs, at cost
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
ˈkȯ-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
Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 30 Dec. 2025
That reusability could significantly lower operational costs if the method is scaled up.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
The only true blowout loss -- 56-13 at home to Notre Dame -- was the one that cost Pittman his job, five games into his sixth season at the helm.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cost
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Energy affordability is also expected to be central to her tenure, particularly as Georgia families face rising utility costs and the rapid expansion of data centers across the state.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 30 Dec. 2025
That reusability could significantly lower operational costs if the method is scaled up.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
Reed estimates repairs could cost nearly $300,000 and said the pool may need to be completely drained.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
The only true blowout loss -- 56-13 at home to Notre Dame -- was the one that cost Pittman his job, five games into his sixth season at the helm.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 31 Dec. 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 31 Dec. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share