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Synonyms

cost-effective

American  
[kawst-i-fek-tiv, kost-] / ˈkɔst ɪˈfɛk tɪv, ˈkɒst- /

adjective

  1. producing optimum results for the expenditure.


cost-effective British  

adjective

  1. providing adequate financial return in relation to outlay

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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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.

Musk believes that orbital data centers can be as cost-effective as land-based centers in a few years.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

It also points to a practical and cost-effective strategy that could eventually benefit millions of people living with Alzheimer's worldwide.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

It is more cost-effective to spend the first night in New York rather than get to Boston very late and pay a higher hotel cost.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

Ukraine has become a leader in cost-effective solutions such as portable jammers and acoustic sensors, as well as unmanned robots for evacuating troops.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

But a PIH doctor spoke up, saying that he had signed the Hippocratic Oath to practice medicine ethically, but he didn’t remember signing an oath to do it in a cost-effective way.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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