opportunity cost

American  

[op-er-too-ni-tee kawst] / ˌɒp ərˈtu nɪ ti ˌkɔst /

noun

Economics.

1. the money or other benefits lost when pursuing a particular course of action instead of a mutually-exclusive alternative.

   The company cannot afford the opportunity cost attached to policy decisions made by the current CEO.

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opportunity cost British  

noun

1. economics the benefit that could have been gained from an alternative use of the same resource

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Etymology

Origin of opportunity cost

First recorded in 1910–15

Compare meaning

How does opportunity-cost compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• trade-off vs. opportunity cost

Example Sentences

It’s a clever workaround and it would be technically feasible, but you are correct in that the opportunity cost and potential capital-gains taxes from liquidating other assets probably outweigh those tax savings.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

If that happens, the monetary backdrop would become “increasingly supportive for precious metals, including silver, as the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets declines.”

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

The nomination also bolstered the U.S. dollar, which raised the opportunity cost of holding dollar-denominated assets.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

The problem with this conception is the opportunity cost it exacts on the American reading public.

From Salon • Dec. 18, 2025

For immigrants, the opportunity cost of crime rises with access to decent jobs, education, legal protections and social networks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025