inexpensive

American  

[in-ik-spen-siv] / ˌɪn ɪkˈspɛn sɪv /

adjective

1. not expensive; not high in price; costing little.

   Antonyms:

   costly

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inexpensive British  

/ ˌɪnɪkˈspɛnsɪv /

adjective

1. not expensive; cheap

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Synonym Usage

See cheap.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• inexpensively
  adverb
• inexpensiveness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of inexpensive

First recorded in 1830–40; in- ³ + expensive

Explanation

Anything that's inexpensive doesn't cost a lot. The inexpensive camping trip your family takes, instead of flying first class to Disney World, might turn out to be a lot of fun! Inexpensive things are affordable, sometimes because they're cheaply made, but often because they're reasonably priced. Check out the thrift stores before you buy those $200 jeans — you might find an inexpensive used pair that looks identical! Or cook an inexpensive meal at home instead of eating at a fancy restaurant, and you'll have money to splurge on dessert. The Latin root of expensive means "weigh out money," and the prefix in- means "not."

Related Words

• cheap
• economical
• low-cost
• low-priced
• modest
• popular
• reasonable