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
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That puts an opportunity cost to every dollar spent on player salary, but there is no such limitation to money spent on the rest of the organization.
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Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The opportunity cost —in terms of sustainable growth, prosperity, and planetary stability—is immense.
—Sturla Henriksen, Time, 5 June 2025
Higher interest rates for longer would increase the opportunity cost of holding gold.
—Garth Friesen, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for opportunity cost
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Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The opportunity cost —in terms of sustainable growth, prosperity, and planetary stability—is immense.
—Sturla Henriksen, Time, 5 June 2025
Higher interest rates for longer would increase the opportunity cost of holding gold.
—Garth Friesen, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
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
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 4 Jul. 2025.
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