cost-benefit

American  

[kawst-ben-uh-fit, kost-] / ˈkɔstˈbɛn ə fɪt, ˈkɒst- /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or based on a cost-effective analysis.

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cost-benefit British  

adjective

1. denoting or relating to a method of assessing a project that takes into account its costs and its benefits to society as well as the revenue it generates

   a cost-benefit analysis

   the project was assessed on a cost-benefit basis

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Etymology

Origin of cost-benefit

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cost-benefit

National climate assessments are important because their projections can inform federal infrastructure planning, risk assessments, regulations, disaster preparedness and cost-benefit analyses, including from hazards such as wildfires, floods, drought and sea-level rise.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

Even in places where the direct cost-benefit analysis between taxes and government services may have seemed poor, there were other compensating qualities that state and local policy weren’t caustic enough to destroy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

"And this type of analysis helps us find pain points where investments in technology can rapidly change the cost-benefit analysis."

From Science Daily ● Dec. 11, 2025

The visionaries of the early Space Age didn’t worry much about solar radiation, coronal mass ejections, galactic cosmic rays, psychological stress from isolation, and cost-benefit ratios.

From Slate ● Dec. 9, 2025

“Not to mention what the bureau has sunk into a dozen planning reports, hydrographical surveys, maps, cost-benefit analysis, and—you know,” Roland Kyburz added.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols