variable cost

American  

noun

1. a cost that varies with a change in the volume of output while remaining uniform on a per-unit basis, as cost of labor (distinguished from fixed cost).

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variable cost British  

noun

1. a cost that varies directly with output

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Example Sentences

On the variable cost side of the coin, spending on graphics processing units and data centers, as well as massive electricity bills, are sending tech companies’ capital-light models the way of the dial-up modem.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

You should go for a smaller battery with less-expensive technology and optimize the variable cost of the product instead.

From The Verge • Jun. 21, 2022

Chief Executive Thierry Vanlancker said that the group’s “vigorous pricing initiatives” had helped it manage “the unprecedented variable cost inflation that impacted our industry during the quarter”.

From Reuters • Apr. 21, 2022

The cost of running some types business has two components—a fixed cost and a variable cost.

From Textbooks • Apr. 22, 2020

And the only way to do that is to reduce the largest variable cost these firms have: compensation.

From New York Times • Feb. 26, 2016