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Synonyms

cost-effective

American  
[kawst-i-fek-tiv, kost-] / ˈkɔst ɪˈfɛk tɪv, ˈkɒst- /

adjective

  1. producing optimum results for the expenditure.

cost-effective British  

adjective

  1. providing adequate financial return in relation to outlay

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • cost-effectively adverb
  • cost-effectiveness noun

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This will intensify competition and provide enterprises with a wider array of powerful, cost-effective options, Citi says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Despite the added risks and expenses, the researchers found that the <120 mm Hg target remained cost-effective when compared with higher targets under typical conditions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026

Nvidia’s GPUs are expensive, and Intel CPUs are a cost-effective way to support AI computing.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

SMRs are viewed as more cost-effective sources of nuclear power.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

But a PIH doctor spoke up, saying that he had signed the Hippocratic Oath to practice medicine ethically, but he didn’t remember signing an oath to do it in a cost-effective way.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.