inexpensive

American

[in-ik-spen-siv] / ˌɪn ɪkˈspɛn sɪv /

adjective

not expensive; not high in price; costing little.

Antonyms:

costly

inexpensive British

/ ˌɪnɪkˈspɛnsɪv /

adjective

not expensive; cheap

"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

Related Words

See cheap.

Other Word Forms

inexpensively adverb
inexpensiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of inexpensive

First recorded in 1830–40; in- ³ + expensive

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."

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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.

Much like the recurring services described above, common items like reachers, sock helpers and hearing aids might seem relatively inexpensive purchased separately.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Because it is inexpensive, easy to obtain, and well tolerated, researchers believe it could be quickly tested as a complementary approach to cancer treatment.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

And many of them are starting to look inexpensive.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

To some investors, software stocks may not be as inexpensive as they look when considering the murkiness of stock-based compensation — a heavy expense that gets stripped from many companies’ adjusted earnings metrics.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026

The advantages of such control over chemicals are obvious: it is relatively inexpensive, it is permanent, it leaves no poisonous residues.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023