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

“I think police executives need to at some point look at the cost-benefit analysis,” said McMahon, who served as the LAPD’s technology chief before retiring last year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 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

We need to stop framing decisions about childrearing as simply another cost-benefit analysis and present young people with a more beautiful vision of what family life can be and do for the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 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