price

¹

[ prahys ]

noun

1. the sum or amount of money or its equivalent for which anything is bought, sold, or offered for sale.
2. a sum offered for the capture of a person alive or dead:

   The authorities put a price on his head.

3. the sum of money, or other consideration, for which a person's support, consent, etc., may be obtained, especially in cases involving sacrifice of integrity:

   They claimed that every politician has a price.

4. that which must be given, done, or undergone in order to obtain a thing:

   He gained the victory, but at a heavy price.

5. odds ( def 2 ).
6. Archaic. value or worth.
7. Archaic. great value or worth (usually preceded by of ).

verb (used with object)

, priced, pric·ing.

1. to fix the price of.
2. to ask or determine the price of:

   We spent the day pricing furniture at various stores.

Price

²

[ prahys ]

noun

1. Bruce, 1845–1903, U.S. architect.
2. (Edward) Reynolds, 1933–2011, U.S. novelist.
3. (Mary) Le·on·tyne [lee, -, uh, n-teen], born 1927, U.S. soprano.
4. a male given name.

price

/ praɪs /

noun

1. the sum in money or goods for which anything is or may be bought or sold
2. the cost at which anything is obtained
3. the cost of bribing a person
4. a sum of money offered or given as a reward for a capture or killing
5. value or worth, esp high worth
6. gambling another word for odds
7. at any price
   whatever the price or cost
8. at a price
   at a high price
9. beyond price or without price
   invaluable or priceless
10. the price of someone
    what someone deserves, esp a fitting punishment

    it's just the price of him

11. what price something?
    what are the chances of something happening now?

verb

1. to fix or establish the price of
2. to ascertain or discover the price of
3. price out of the market
   to charge so highly for as to prevent the sale, hire, etc, of

Derived Forms

• ˈpricer, noun

Other Words From

• pricea·ble adjective
• pre·price verb (used with object) prepriced prepricing noun
• re·price verb repriced repricing
• well-priced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of price¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; (noun) Middle English pris(e), from Old French, Latin pretium “price, value, worth” ( precious ); (verb) late Middle English prisen, from Middle French prisier, derivative of pris, Old French as above; prize ², praise

Word History and Origins

Origin of price¹

C13 pris, from Old French, from Latin pretium price, value, wage

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at any price, at any cost, no matter how great:

   Their orders were to capture the town at any price.

2. beyond / without price, of incalculable value; priceless:

   The crown jewels are beyond price.

More idioms and phrases containing price

• at all costs (at any price)
• cheap at twice the price
• every man has his price

Synonym Study

Price, charge, cost, expense refer to outlay or expenditure required in buying or maintaining something. Price is used mainly of single, concrete objects offered for sale; charge, of services: What is the price of that coat? There is a small charge for mailing packages. Cost is mainly a purely objective term, often used in financial calculations: The cost of building a new annex was estimated at $10,000. Expense suggests cost plus incidental expenditure: The expense of the journey was more than the contemplated cost. Only charge is not used figuratively. Price, cost, and sometimes expense may be used to refer to the expenditure of mental energy, what one “pays” in anxiety, suffering, etc.

Example Sentences

Among many of those who have paid the heaviest price for Russia’s invasion, peace cannot come soon enough, even if that means further sacrifices.

From BBC

For customers frustrated by shrinkflation, Tropicana says the new bottles will cost about 70 cents less than their predecessors, though not all retailers have adjusted prices yet.

From Salon

Now, people in China will have access to Wegovy, potentially at a much lower price than in the United States.

From Salon

Once the 6PPD molecules are removed, they can be chemically converted into safe chemicals that can be used or sold for a small price.

From Science Daily

The group denied the claims and spent months reassuring investors; its companies’ stock prices rebounded.

From New York Times

Related Words

• appraise
• cost
• estimate
• fix
• reduce
• value