affordable

American  

[uh-fawr-duh-buhl] / əˈfɔr də bəl /

adjective

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

   attractive new cars at affordable prices.

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noun

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

   a variety of affordables for your gift list.

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

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

Etymology

Origin of affordable

First recorded in 1865–70; afford + -able

Example Sentences

The $7,500 federal EV purchase tax credit expired in September, making all EVs less affordable.

From Barron's

Advances in molecular sequencing have made it faster and more affordable to compare DNA among populations.

From Science Daily

"I don't know about you but my phone contract costs about that which might help to put things into a context and point out that the monthly repayments are entirely affordable."

From BBC

Analysts think the company’s more affordable sofas and mattresses give Bob’s an advantage at a time when Americans are feeling squeezed by higher prices.

From Barron's

Because it is already affordable and commonly used, rapamycin is a strong candidate for applications in this new system.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• cheap
• economical