capital-intensive

[ kap-i-tl-in-ten-siv ]

adjective

1. requiring or using a very large amount of capital relative to the need for or use of labor.

capital-intensive

1. A term describing industries that employ relatively few laborers but that use expensive equipment. ( Compare labor-intensive .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of capital-intensive¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Some more recent examples: Intel was founded in 1968 and operated in a highly competitive, capital intensive industry.

From The Daily Beast

Automaking is a notoriously difficult, capital-intensive business.

From The Daily Beast

ExxonMobil may be an old-school, capital-intensive resource company, but it is churning out results that rival those of Apple.

From The Daily Beast