inexpensive
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
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.
They added that guava juice is already widely accepted culturally across many parts of Asia and is relatively inexpensive, making it a potentially sustainable public health tool.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
The result: I took an inexpensive yoga class at a beautiful studio, and I ate the most delectable pastry I’ve ever had.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
And it turns out there’s an ingenious, inexpensive little invention that combines the pacifier with the medicine syringe.
From Slate • May 17, 2026
Nonetheless, Dominion’s Virginia-focused service zone is a hot commodity—and is home to the world’s largest concentration of data centers External link, thanks to the location of fiber optic hook-ups and relatively inexpensive land.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
Amazed by the scores of inexpensive ethnic restaurants, they left Taco Bell behind for good.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
