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.
Companies in China benefit from cheap operating costs, including inexpensive open-source models from Chinese AI firms and proximity to China’s dense manufacturing supply-chain networks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
The stock is inexpensive with bullish price momentum and technicals.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
The Pentagon has begun that process, deploying several relatively inexpensive anti-drone missile systems.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
Rubner said downside protection is inexpensive, calculating that demand for market protection is in the bottom first percentile of the entire year.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
So what I decided to do, I decided I'd take a room in a hotel in New York--some very inexpensive hotel and all--and just take it easy till Wednesday.
From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
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.
