opportunity cost
noun
: the added cost of using resources (as for production or speculative investment) that is the difference between the actual value resulting from such use and that of an alternative (such as another use of the same resources or an investment of equal risk but greater return)
Examples of opportunity cost in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There's an opportunity cost to taking all those extra months, weeks, and days to make a single decision.
—
Nell Wulfhart, CNBC, 2 June 2025
However, there is an opportunity cost, as defensive tackles and ends were among the deepest position groups in the 2025 class, and Washington chose not to select either.
—Ben Standig, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
In this study, investment is calculated to include both tuition and opportunity cost and the return is the projected cumulative extra income over a lifetime.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Risk isn’t just measured in standard deviation—it’s measured in the opportunity cost of being unprepared.
—Thierry Brunel, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunity cost
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Nell Wulfhart, CNBC, 2 June 2025
However, there is an opportunity cost, as defensive tackles and ends were among the deepest position groups in the 2025 class, and Washington chose not to select either.
—Ben Standig, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
In this study, investment is calculated to include both tuition and opportunity cost and the return is the projected cumulative extra income over a lifetime.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Risk isn’t just measured in standard deviation—it’s measured in the opportunity cost of being unprepared.
—Thierry Brunel, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunity cost
Cite this Entry
“Opportunity cost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunity%20cost. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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