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cost
/kɒst/
price to acquire or produce
The cost of the new laptop was $1,200.
The price to buy the new laptop was $1,200.
general
The amount of money required to buy, produce, or maintain something.
The cost of living has increased significantly this year.
The prices required to maintain a basic lifestyle have gone up.
Labor costs are a major expense for manufacturers.
The money spent on paying workers is a key cost for factories.
In business contexts, 'cost' can refer to expenses beyond money, such as time or effort.
general
To require the payment of a specified amount of money.
This project will cost a lot of resources.
This project will require a large amount of money or effort.
How much does it cost to ship internationally?
What price must be paid to send items abroad?
Used as a verb to describe the action of incurring an expense.
figurative
Something that is lost, damaged, or given up to achieve something else.
The cost of fame can be high personal sacrifice.
Achieving fame often requires giving up privacy or personal time.
Often used metaphorically to describe non-monetary losses.
Collocations
cost of livingthe amount of money needed to maintain a certain standard of livingopportunity costthe value of the next best alternative that is forgone when making a decisionat all costsregardless of the expense or effort requiredcost-effectiveachieving the best possible outcome with the least expense
Synonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Distinguishing 'cost' and 'price'
'Cost' refers to the amount spent to produce or acquire something, while 'price' is what a seller charges a buyer. For example, the cost to manufacture a shirt might be $5, but the price to sell it could be $20.
Gold Rule
Using 'cost' as a verb
The verb 'cost' always requires an object and is used to describe what must be paid. It is irregular: present 'cost', past 'cost' or 'costed', past participle 'cost'. Example: 'The ticket costs $50.' / 'The mistake cost the company millions.'
Word Origin
From Middle English 'cost' (noun and verb), from Old French 'cost' (modern 'côté' meaning 'side'), from Latin 'constare' (to stand firm, be worth), from 'con-' (together) + 'stare' (to stand). The verb sense developed from the noun in the 16th century.
Usage Notes
The noun 'cost' is uncountable when referring to general expenses (e.g., 'the cost of healthcare') but can be countable in specific contexts (e.g., 'the costs of production'). The verb 'cost' is transitive and always takes an object (e.g., 'This mistake cost me my job').
English Dictionary