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
The opportunity costs are especially striking for Asian elephant conservation: while over a trillion dollars is spent combatting climate change annually, the funds available to address the myriad of problems facing wild Asian elephants are far smaller.
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Nitin Sekar, ArsTechnica, 5 Apr. 2025
Finally, the current Highway Performance Monitoring System represents a potentially significant opportunity cost.
—Mark Pittman, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
There’s a significant opportunity cost at work too.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
The opportunity cost of pursuing a doctorate is, thus, up to $100,000 per year.
—Moshe Y. Vardi, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunity cost
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Nitin Sekar, ArsTechnica, 5 Apr. 2025
Finally, the current Highway Performance Monitoring System represents a potentially significant opportunity cost.
—Mark Pittman, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
There’s a significant opportunity cost at work too.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
The opportunity cost of pursuing a doctorate is, thus, up to $100,000 per year.
—Moshe Y. Vardi, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 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 7 May. 2025.
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