Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

economy of scale

American  
[ih-kon-uh-mee uhv skayl] / 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

“It’s very difficult on an economy of scale with the capital needs and all the environmental regulations and everything else today to survive milking 40, 50, or 60 or even 100 cows,” he said.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 1, 2019

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com