cost

/kɑst/

/kɒst/

Other forms: costs; costing; costed

The cost of something is how much money you need to spend on it. The high cost of a fancy coffee drink might surprise you.

A new car costs thousands of dollars, while in some places penny candy still only costs a penny per piece. Cost also means "cause a loss," as when a bad fumble costs your favorite football team the game, or your brother's cheating on a test costs him the respect of his favorite teacher. The Old French cost meant "outlay, expenditure, hardship, or trouble," from the Latin root constare, "to stand at or to cost."

Definitions of cost

1. verb

   be priced at
   “These shoes cost $100”

   synonyms: be

   types:

   knock back, put back, set back

   cost a certain amount

   type of:

   be

   have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
2. noun

   the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
   types:

   disbursal, disbursement, expense

   amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)

   capital expenditure

   the cost of long-term improvements

   payment

   a sum of money paid or a claim discharged

   ransom, ransom money

   money demanded for the return of a captured person

   cost overrun

   excess of cost over budget

   cost of living

   average cost of basic necessities of life (as food and shelter and clothing)

   borrowing cost

   the cost of borrowing something

   distribution cost

   any cost incurred by a producer or wholesaler or retailer or distributor (as for advertising and shipping etc)

   handling charge, handling cost

   the cost of handling (especially the cost of packaging and mailing an order)

   marketing cost

   the cost of marketing (e.g., the cost of transferring title and moving goods to the customer)

   production cost

   combined costs of raw material and labor incurred in producing goods

   replacement cost

   current cost of replacing a fixed asset with a new one of equal effectiveness

   physical value, reproduction cost

   cost of reproducing physical property minus various allowances (especially depreciation)

   unit cost

   calculated cost for a given unit of a product

   damage, price, terms

   the amount of money needed to purchase something

   price

   cost of bribing someone

   opportunity cost

   cost in terms of foregoing alternatives

   portage

   the cost of carrying or transporting

   charge

   the price charged for some article or service

   royalty

   payment to the holder of a patent or copyright or resource for the right to use their property

   bonus, incentive

   an additional payment (or other remuneration) to employees as a means of increasing output

   business expense, trade expense

   ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in a taxpayer's business or trade

   interest expense

   interest paid on loans

   lobbying expense

   expenses incurred in promoting or evaluating legislation

   medical expense

   amount spent for diagnosis or treatment or prevention of medical problems

   non-cash expense

   an expense (such as depreciation) that is not paid for in cash

   moving expense

   the cost of moving your residence from one location to another

   budget items, operating cost, operating expense, overhead

   the expense of maintaining property (e.g., paying property taxes and utilities and insurance); it does not include depreciation or the cost of financing or income taxes

   personal expense

   the cost of personal or family living

   overpayment

   a payment larger than needed or expected

   underpayment

   a payment smaller than needed or expected

   subscription

   a payment for consecutive issues of a newspaper or magazine for a given period of time

   regular payment

   a payment made at regular times

   blood money

   paid to a hired murderer

   recompense

   payment or reward (as for service rendered)

   refund

   money returned to a payer

   conscience money

   payment made voluntarily to reduce guilt over dishonest dealings

   support payment

   a payment made by one person for the support of another

   reward

   payment made in return for a service rendered

   bribe, payoff

   payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment

   residual

   (often plural) a payment that is made to a performer or writer or director of a television show or commercial that is paid for every repeat showing

   benefit

   financial assistance in time of need

   lump sum

   a complete payment consisting of a single sum of money

   final payment, payoff

   the final payment of a debt

   remission, remitment, remittal, remittance

   a payment of money sent to a person in another place

   quittance, repayment

   payment of a debt or obligation

   token payment

   a small payment made in acknowledgement of an obligation

   penalty

   a payment required for not fulfilling a contract

   pittance

   an inadequate payment

   insurance premium, premium

   payment for insurance

   installment

   a payment of part of a debt; usually paid at regular intervals

   asking price, selling price

   the price at which something is offered for sale

   bid price

   (stock market) the price at which a broker is willing to buy a certain security

   closing price

   (stock market) the price of the last transaction completed during a day's trading session

   factory price

   price charged for goods picked up at the factory

   highway robbery

   an exorbitant price

   purchase price

   the price at which something is actually purchased

   cash price, spot price

   the current delivery price of a commodity traded in the spot market

   support level

   (stock market) the price at which a certain security becomes attractive to investors

   valuation

   assessed price

   capital cost, cost of capital

   the opportunity cost of the funds employed as the result of an investment decision; the rate of return that a business could earn if it chose another investment with equivalent risk

   carrying charge, carrying cost

   the opportunity cost of unproductive assets; the expense incurred by ownership

   carrying charge

   charge made for carrying an account or for merchandise sold on an installment plan

   depreciation charge

   an amount periodically charged to expense or against revenue in compensation for depreciation of property

   undercharge

   a price that is too low

   overcharge

   a price that is too high

   fare, transportation

   the sum charged for riding in a public conveyance

   fixed charge, fixed cost, fixed costs

   a periodic charge that does not vary with business volume (as insurance or rent or mortgage payments etc.)

   agio, agiotage, exchange premium, premium

   a fee charged for exchanging currencies

   demurrage

   a charge required as compensation for the delay of a ship or freight car or other cargo beyond its scheduled time of departure

   installation charge

   the charge for installing something

   porterage

   the charge for carrying burdens by porters

   postage

   the charge for mailing something

   poundage

   a charge based on weight measured in pounds

   charge per unit, rate

   amount of a charge or payment relative to some basis

   water-rate

   rate per quarter for water from a public supply

   surcharge

   an additional charge (as for items previously omitted or as a penalty for failure to exercise common caution or common skill)

   service charge, service fee

   a percentage of a bill (as at a hotel or restaurant) added in payment for service

   stowage

   the charge for stowing goods

   tankage

   the charge for storing something in tanks

   deposit, down payment

   a partial payment made at the time of purchase; the balance to be paid later

   satisfaction

   (law) the payment of a debt or fulfillment of an obligation

   credit, deferred payment

   arrangement for deferred payment for goods and services

   cash, immediate payment

   prompt payment for goods or services in currency or by check

   type of:

   expenditure, expense, outgo, outlay, spending

   money paid out; an amount spent
3. noun

   the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)
   “he couldn't calculate the cost of the collection”

   synonyms: monetary value, price

   types:

   average cost

   total cost for all units bought (or produced) divided by the number of units

   differential cost, incremental cost, marginal cost

   the increase or decrease in costs as a result of one more or one less unit of output

   expensiveness

   the quality of being high-priced

   assessment

   the market value set on assets

   affordability, inexpensiveness

   the quality of being reasonably priced

   tax assessment

   the value set on taxable property

   costliness, dearness, preciousness

   the quality possessed by something with a great price or value

   lavishness, luxury, sumptuosity, sumptuousness

   the quality possessed by something that is excessively expensive

   moderateness, modestness, reasonableness

   the property of being moderate in price or expenditures

   bargain rate, cheapness, cut price, cut rate

   a price below the standard price

   type of:

   value

   the quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable
4. noun

   value measured by what must be given or done or undergone to obtain something
   “the cost in human life was enormous”

   synonyms: price, toll

   types:

   death toll

   the number of deaths resulting from some particular cause such as an accident or a battle or a natural disaster

   type of:

   value

   the quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable
5. verb

   require to lose, suffer, or sacrifice
   “This mistake cost him his job”

   type of:

   ask, call for, demand, involve, necessitate, need, postulate, require, take

   require as useful, just, or proper