affordable

[uh-fawr-duh-buhl]

adjective

1. that can be afforded; believed to be within one's financial means.

   attractive new cars at affordable prices.

noun

1. Usually affordables. items, expenses, etc., that one can afford.

   a variety of affordables for your gift list.

Other Word Forms

• affordability noun
• affordably adverb
• unaffordability noun
• unaffordable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of affordable¹

First recorded in 1865–70; afford + -able

Example Sentences

“The question is whether we allow those changes to be sustainable and affordable, or chaotic and costly.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The sticking point has been a refusal by Republicans to include language in the bill to address expiring subsidies that make health insurance affordable for 24 million Americans.

Read more on Barron's

Silver is also much cheaper than gold, attracting a broad range of investors seeking more affordable safe-haven assets, and is widely used in industry—from the manufacture of solar panels to AI semiconductors.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A more affordable version will be available later in the model year with a starting price of $28,995.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The use of PPP-RTK will also make the technology accessible to the general public because it is a relatively affordable service.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• cheap 
• economical 

When To Use

What does affordable mean?

If something is affordable, it means its price is low enough that you (or most people) have enough money to buy it.Affordable is the adjective form of the verb afford. If you can afford something, you have enough money to pay for it. Much less commonly, affordable can be used as a noun meaning an item that one can afford.Example: Rachel wants to buy a luxury car, but with her budget I think she should consider a more affordable option.