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

Sure, plastic kitchenware can be cost-effective up front, but repeatedly replacing staples that have warped, scratched, or held onto lingering odors adds up over time. — Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2026

But some developers and enterprises are a little less focused on the frontier and more focused on exactly how to operationalize all this and keep it cost-effective. — Samuel Axon, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026

The new releases come as OpenAI and Anthropic work to satisfy customers who are looking for more cost-effective models and seeking to rein in AI spending. — Cj Haddad, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

HubSpot is worth considering for bigger businesses, but the extremely flexible Apptivo, the cost-effective Bigin by Zoho, and the exceptionally user-friendly Freshsales remain our Editors' Choice winners. — Dianna Gunn, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 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