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

Compared to the Price sisters, their stories are comparatively undeveloped; as in ballet, the men are there for lifts and catches.

From Los Angeles Times

Ultimately, much of the material in the book, including Hughes’ cinematic escape from prison and multiple grueling hunger strikes, was cut so that the Price sisters’ journey of radicalization and regret would take center stage.

From Los Angeles Times

Price increases in the US picked up last month, as progress toward stabilising prices appeared to stall.

From BBC

Prices in shops and pubs will rise as a result of tax rises on businesses announced in the Budget, two bosses have warned.

From BBC

A former civil rights attorney, Price was elected two years ago after vowing to bring criminal justice reform to the prosecutor’s office.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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