the price paid to acquire, produce, accomplish, or maintain anything.
the high cost of a good meal.
an outlay or expenditure of money, time, labor, trouble, etc..
What will the cost be to me?
a sacrifice, loss, or penalty.
to work at the cost of one's health.
Law. costs,
money allowed to a successful party in a lawsuit in compensation for legal expenses incurred, chargeable to the unsuccessful party.
money due to a court or one of its officers for services in a cause.
to require the payment of (money or something else of value) in an exchange.
That camera cost $200.
to result in or entail the loss of.
Carelessness costs lives.
to cause to lose or suffer.
The accident cost her a broken leg.
to entail (effort or inconvenience).
Courtesy costs little.
to cause to pay or sacrifice.
That request will cost us two weeks' extra work.
to estimate or determine the cost of (manufactured articles, new processes, etc.).
We have costed the manufacture of each item.
the price paid or required for acquiring, producing, or maintaining something, usually measured in money, time, or energy; expense or expenditure; outlay
suffering or sacrifice; loss; penalty
count the cost to your health
I know to my cost
the amount paid for a commodity by its seller
to sell at cost
( as modifier )
the cost price
(plural) law the expenses of judicial proceedings
regardless of cost or sacrifice involved
at the expense of losing
(tr) to be obtained or obtainable in exchange for (money or something equivalent); be priced at
the ride cost one pound
to cause or require the expenditure, loss, or sacrifice (of)
the accident cost him dearly
to estimate the cost of (a product, process, etc) for the purposes of pricing, budgeting, control, etc
What is a basic definition of cost? Cost means a price that must be paid for something or a sacrifice. Cost is used as a verb to mean to require a payment or to cause the loss of something. Cost has several other senses as a noun and a verb. Cost most often refers to a specific amount of money that a seller wants for the item they are selling. However, cost is also used more generally to mean whatever the price of an item is. If the price is high or expensive, it is said to be costly.
What does cost- mean? Cost- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “rib.” It is used in some medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology. Cost- comes from the Latin costa, meaning “rib, side.” The word costa was borrowed directly into English as a term for a “rib,” among other senses. The Latin costa is also the source of the word coast. Explore more at our entry for coast. Cost- is a variant of costo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use costo- article.
See price.
First recorded in 1200–50; (verb) Middle English costen, from Anglo-French, Old French co(u)ster, from Latin constāre “to stand together, be settled, cost”; cf. constant; (noun) Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, noun derivative of the verb
The cost of something is how much money you need to spend on it. The high cost of a fancy coffee drink might surprise you. A new car costs thousands of dollars, while in some places penny candy still only costs a penny per piece. Cost also means "cause a loss," as when a bad fumble costs your favorite football team the game, or your brother's cheating on a test costs him the respect of his favorite teacher. The Old French cost meant "outlay, expenditure, hardship, or trouble," from the Latin root constare, "to stand at or to cost."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s how budget carriers like Consumer Cellular can pass cost savings on to their customers by foregoing large-scale infrastructure buildouts.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
And if you let things go, the price rises to where you can’t cover the cost of surgery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Among the 500 largest public companies, spending on four of the biggest-ticket perks has surged since 2021, according to research firm Equilar, led by a more than doubling in the median cost of executive security.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Mum Connie Cole, from Portsmouth, said people desperately need more help with the cost of living and welcomed the government help.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The right to buy Capital One’s shares for $40 at any time in the next two and a half years cost a bit more than $3.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
This session, he chaired the Delivery of Government Efficiency Committee, modeled after Elon Musk’s federal cost- and service-cutting committee, and helped establish a Texas Cyber Command, one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s emergency priorities.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2025
The researchers noted that existing computational methods are cost- and time-intensive.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 27, 2024
“Given the challenging times ahead, we accelerated several cost- and cash- containment measures to safeguard our financial performance.”
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 3, 2023
"We are not going to negotiate a contract that is cost- neutral or with concessions," Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien said in a statement late on Monday.
From Reuters ● Apr. 17, 2023
Relying on information polled from hundreds of middle-class non-churchgoers, some enterprising ministers came up with a product bound to please: nothing boring or aggressive; cost- efficiency; comfortable seating; no organ.
From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai
Fed up with ballooning costs, companies big and small are starting to use lower-priced models, including some built in China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
A tumultuous year marred by wildfires, tariffs, immigration raids, increasing rent and labor costs saw some of the city’s most famous restaurants closing, from Michelin-starred fine dining to cozy mom-and-pop spots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Police say this cash funds the prize money and covers expenses, such as a pool of vehicles and even court costs in case the hare coursers are raided.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Inverter systems can cost thousands of dollars -- not dissimilar to petrol generators depending on the size -- but proponents say running costs are lower in the long run.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
We also still have the brownstone in Boston, which I am sure costs a fortune as well.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
Findlay told the event in Edinburgh: "This manifesto is our most detailed plan ever for making that vision a reality. It is comprehensive, costed and credible."
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
Ap Iorwerth told BBC Wales that his plans are "carefully costed" and "deliverable".
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
A UK Parliament spokesperson said the costed proposals have been put forward "to secure the future of the historic Palace of Westminster".
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026
A minister said: "It was unpopular and expensive. It should never have been announced without being costed first."
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026
“Don’t see how. When my daddy died last year this April it costed one hundred and fifty dollars. ’
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
The reforms came after state officials discovered that arbitration abuse was costing its state employees’ health plan more than $200 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
According to Thomas, the program is costing the city about $200,000 per year, but the projected income from the citations will help cover the cost.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
A child with Laron syndrome needs at least three bottles per month, costing $2,400, Dr Guevara explains.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Read: Can China just steal America’s AI brain that’s costing trillions to develop?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
“I know the first revival is free, but the rest must be costing your parents a fortune.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
