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.
The company makes it clear that the cleaning service is priced with data collection in mind, providing customers with an inexpensive cleaning in exchange for using their home as a training ground.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
It is also inexpensive to create digital content.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
The researchers also found that a relatively inexpensive handheld X-ray fluorescence scanner could readily detect lead based ink in a burned scroll.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Relatively inexpensive to make, they are evading Ukrainian air defenses and striking their targets more quickly than their propeller-powered predecessors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Such wigs could not have been inexpensive; but they were simply one of the extravagant customs of that place, and 1 found them unsurprising.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
