inexpensive
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See cheap.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inexpensive
Explanation
Anything that's inexpensive doesn't cost a lot. The inexpensive camping trip your family takes, instead of flying first class to Disney World, might turn out to be a lot of fun! Inexpensive things are affordable, sometimes because they're cheaply made, but often because they're reasonably priced. Check out the thrift stores before you buy those $200 jeans — you might find an inexpensive used pair that looks identical! Or cook an inexpensive meal at home instead of eating at a fancy restaurant, and you'll have money to splurge on dessert. The Latin root of expensive means "weigh out money," and the prefix in- means "not."
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.
From birdwatching to crocheting, hobbies once seen as old-fashioned are also finding a new audience as people look for inexpensive ways to improve their wellbeing.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The researchers believe the new findings could eventually influence heart failure treatment guidelines and make this inexpensive medication available to many more patients.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
They continue to see Aviva as inexpensive compared with U.K. peers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
And stocks outside the U.S. as a group are still relatively inexpensive.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
HeLa was a workhorse: it was hardy, it was inexpensive, and it was everywhere.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
