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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.

SpaceX, a profitable entity with estimated 2026 Ebitda of $10 billion, merged with xAI, a capital-intensive and unprofitable AI company.

From Barron's

Musk’s AI company, like OpenAI, doesn’t appear to be profitable and is operating in a capital-intensive, brutally competitive market.

From Barron's

Renewable energy company Orsted has been working through a major restructuring that includes a large-scale divestment program to free up funds for its most financially attractive projects, shore up its balance sheet and support a solid investment grade rating—key for ensuring access to cheaper financing in capital-intensive wind farm projects.

From The Wall Street Journal

But when it comes to financing capital-intensive GPUs and data centers, debt is a must, Intrator suggested.

From Barron's

This provides "long-term fiscal certainty for a highly capital-intensive sector, significantly improving investment viability and accelerating capacity creation", said Ritika Loganey Gupta of Ernst & Young India.

From BBC