inexpensive

American  

[in-ik-spen-siv] / ˌɪn ɪkˈspɛn sɪv /

adjective

1. not expensive; not high in price; costing little.

   Antonyms:

   costly

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inexpensive British  

/ ˌɪnɪkˈspɛnsɪv /

adjective

1. not expensive; cheap

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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."

Example Sentences

But across the country, families — first in smatterings, now in droves — are declining the single, inexpensive injection given at birth to newborns to help their blood clot.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

And since then Iran has produced large numbers of inexpensive one-way attack drones and developed a “mosquito fleet” of fast boats that it can use to attack ships.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Battery-operated wall sconces, she says, are another inexpensive addition that can make an apartment feel homier.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

They can focus instead on relatively inexpensive defensive capabilities.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Amazed by the scores of inexpensive ethnic restaurants, they left Taco Bell behind for good.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

• cheap
• economical
• low-cost
• low-priced
• modest
• popular
• reasonable