at a premium

Idioms  

1. At a higher price than usual owing to scarcity; also, considered more valuable, held in high esteem. For example, Since that article came out, the firm's stock has been selling at a premium and Space is at a premium in most stores. This idiom uses premium in the sense of “bounty” or “bonus.” [Mid-1800s] Also see put a premium on.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at a premium

A bond trading at a premium to par will have a current yield below the coupon.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

This is at a premium level, and I’d love to be a part of this.’”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Storage space is at a premium, and outfits often end up "shoved somewhere".

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Also, the rest of the term structure is sloping upwards, and the futures are trading at a premium to VIX.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

There might even be a sliding scale, with perfect numbers selling at a premium and prime numbers going for more than nonperfect composite numbers, etc.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

• costly
• extravagant
• fancy
• high
• lavish
• overpriced
• pricey
• upscale
• valuable