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.
They continue to see Aviva as inexpensive compared with U.K. peers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
“We see hedges as inexpensive and like hedging against a hot print,” the analysts wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Homemade vinaigrette is quick, inexpensive and generally much better than the bottled kind.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Because these components are widely available and relatively inexpensive, the system may be economically practical for commercial production.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
The newly married couple picked up an inexpensive painting at a yard sale—a blue-eyed, blond princess standing next to a dark, bearded prince—and hung it in their living room.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
