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economy of scale

American  
[ih-kon-uh-mee uhv skeyl] / ɪˈkɒn ə mi əv ˈskeɪl /

noun

  1. Usually economies of scale a savings in cost achieved by virtue of the large quantity of units produced, materials purchased or transported, etc..

    Expanding our business into the international market would bring a lot more competition, but also much greater economies of scale for production.


economy of scale British  

noun

  1. economics a fall in average costs resulting from an increase in the scale of production

"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

Etymology

Origin of economy of scale

First recorded in 1940–45

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.

See Examples For:

In private equity, a roll-up has historically meant buying companies, consolidating them to achieve an economy of scale and then flipping the larger entity for profit.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 9, 2026

The advantage of the superhot peppers is economy of scale.

From Scientific American Oct. 26, 2023

Poland’s huge order will increase that economy of scale.

From New York Times Mar. 5, 2023

"There is no other entertainment agency with such a fan platform with enough users for economy of scale," said Lee Hye-in, analyst at Yuanta Securities.

From Reuters Dec. 22, 2022

And drone delivery of a single package defies any economy of scale.

From Seattle Times Sep. 15, 2022

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