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capital-intensive

American  
[kap-i-tl-in-ten-siv] / ˈkæp ɪ tl ɪnˈtɛn sɪv /

adjective

  1. requiring or using a very large amount of capital relative to the need for or use of labor.


capital-intensive Cultural  
  1. A term describing industries that employ relatively few laborers but that use expensive equipment. (Compare labor-intensive.)


Etymology

Origin of capital-intensive

First recorded in 1955–60

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.

Energy companies haven’t historically been valued on an earnings basis, as the industry is famously capital-intensive and known for high levels of debt.

From MarketWatch

Semiconductor manufacturing is a capital-intensive, long-cycle, cyclical business.

From Barron's

To be sure, any capital-intensive, cyclical industry faces the same headwinds from higher rates.

From Barron's

“The selloff in the shares has brought investor expectations to levels that better reflect the uncertainty and risks of Oracle’s transition to a capital-intensive business,” Oppenheimer analysts led by Brian Schwartz said in a Wednesday note to clients.

From MarketWatch

“Financing risk to support the company’s transition to a capital-intensive business has pushed Oracle’s credit default swaps to the highest levels since the Great Recession,” he wrote.

From MarketWatch