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.
Vanillin offers another important advantage beyond its potential biological activity: it is inexpensive and readily available.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
Fisher designed a 5,000-square-foot studio and home that combines the aesthetics of a downtown artist’s loft and the comforts of a single-family home in the working-class enclave that still offered inexpensive land.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Micron and Nvidia are among high-profile semiconductor companies that have been raking in cash and still have inexpensive stocks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Others are drawn by the autonomy and by social media, inexpensive digital tools and AI that made it easier and cheaper to strike out on their own.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Buses were inexpensive to ride and it was a good way to rest.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
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.
