affordable
Americanadjective
noun
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of affordable
Explanation
If something is affordable, it's priced reasonably, and you have enough money to buy it. Your friends might be jealous that the bike you bought at a yard sale was so affordable. If you live in an affordable city, it means that rents aren't too high for most of its residents, and if you buy an affordable dinner for yourself, it doesn't cost too much. The adjective affordable can either mean "cheap," or it can imply that even if it's expensive, you have enough money to easily buy it. The verb afford is at the root, and its earliest meaning was "accomplish." Gradually, afford came to have the meaning "manage to buy."
Vocabulary lists containing affordable
Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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History is made in PA: Clinton's DNC Acceptance Speech
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for May 7–May 13, 2022
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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.
“Kaiser Permanente continually evaluates how we organize our work and deploy resources to help ensure high-quality care remains affordable and accessible for our members and patients,” the health plan said Tuesday in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Supporters called it a victory but promised to continue their fight to prevent similar evictions, and to press for more affordable housing.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
“The successful deployment of Starship will establish the most affordable and scalable path to unlocking the economic potential of space,” Citi wrote in an earlier note to clients.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
He said the academy served mostly children from the area and that it provided affordable baseball training for working-class families.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
But affordable prices are only one reason the marketplace has blurred.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
