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.
Simple, fun and inexpensive, there's plenty to be sold on when it comes to baking dot cakes at home.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
Santiago and Gonzalez, however, spoke for many who cherished their inexpensive night at the Coliseum, in the City of Angels itself, during their nation’s statement victory.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026
The annual premium is equivalent to 0.24% of the policy’s face amount, making this an inexpensive way to maintain substantial coverage for someone in their early 60s.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Fuel City, a chainlet of seven gas stations in the Dallas area, serves inexpensive street tacos every hour of the day to bar-hoppers, third-shift workers and weary travelers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
For years, every hacker and electronics whiz had dreamt of the day when a computer would come along that was small and inexpensive enough for an ordinary person to use and own.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
