affordability
Americannoun
Explanation
Affordability is a quality of being inexpensive. Because of the affordability of the apples at the orchard, we went ahead and bought a whole bushel. The adjective affordability describes things you can afford to pay for because they don't cost too much. People move to certain neighborhoods because of the affordability of housing there, and others decide the affordability of community college makes it a great place to get an education. Sometimes this word is used to mean "cost or price," so someone might say, "The affordability of healthcare these days is just terrible!"
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.
Zoopla's executive director Richard Donnell says affordability needs to improve.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
While gasoline plays an outsize role in perceptions about affordability, diesel—key to truckers, construction machinery and farming equipment—is surging even higher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
“Consumer confidence has declined as rates and affordability have driven more consumers to slow their purchase decision,” Chief Executive Officer Stuart Miller said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
“You could get affordability restored not because you have more supply, but less demand,” he said, noting that it’s “almost a demographic certainty as you move into the 2030s.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
When he finished speaking, much of the talk in the room turned to affordability.
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.
