inexpensive
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
See cheap.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inexpensive
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."
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.
But across the country, families — first in smatterings, now in droves — are declining the single, inexpensive injection given at birth to newborns to help their blood clot.
From Salon • May 7, 2026
Battery-operated wall sconces, she says, are another inexpensive addition that can make an apartment feel homier.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
Some Hollywood executives worry the growing cost of a night at the cinema and increased reliance on premium screens are turning moviegoing into a pricey special occasion rather than an inexpensive regular habit.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
The S&P 500 is hardly inexpensive at 21 times forward earnings, above its 10-year average of 19.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
For years, every hacker and electronics whiz had dreamt of the day when a computer would come along that was small and inexpensive enough for an ordinary person to use and own.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
