1
a
: the amount or equivalent paid or charged for something : price
The average cost of a college education has gone up dramatically.
b
: the outlay or expenditure (as of effort or sacrifice) made to achieve an object
He achieved fame, but at the cost of losing several friends.
2
: loss or penalty incurred especially in gaining something
the cost of lives during war
3
costs plural
: expenses incurred in a judicial process
especially
: those given by the law or the court to the prevailing party against the losing party
costlessly
adverb
cost; costing
1
: to require expenditure or payment
The best goods cost more.
2
: to require effort, suffering, or loss
1
: to have a price of
Each ticket costs 25 dollars.
2
: to cause to pay, suffer, or lose something
Frequent absences cost him his job.
3
past costed
ˈkä-stəd 
: to estimate or set the cost of
—often used with out
: to estimate or set the cost of
—often used with outThe project has yet to be costed out.
Synonyms
Examples of cost in a Sentence
Noun
She attends college at a cost of $15,000 a year.
The average cost of raising a family has increased dramatically.
We offer services at a fraction of the cost of other companies.
What's the difference in cost?
They believe that everyone should have access to adequate medical care, regardless of cost.
The cost of doing business in this area is high.
We need better cost control.
Winning the war, he believes, was worth the cost in lives.
What are the costs and benefits of the new law?
Verb
The trip will cost you about $100 each way.
The project will end up costing the government an estimated 3.5 billion dollars.
It will cost you a lot of money, but it'll be worth it.
His frequent absences ended up costing him his job.
The error cost me a reprimand, but nothing more serious than that.
a blunder that has cost her considerable embarrassment
Recent Examples on the Web
Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
However, the cost of making antivenom only accounts for about one-tenth of one percent of the total cost of the treatment, according to research from the VIPER Institute at the University of Arizona.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cost 
Noun
According to an analysis by the Learning Policy Institute, the costs of teacher turnover, including recruiting, hiring and onboarding costs, can range from $9,000 in rural settings to $20,000 in urban areas.
—Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
However, the cost of making antivenom only accounts for about one-tenth of one percent of the total cost of the treatment, according to research from the VIPER Institute at the University of Arizona.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cost
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cost.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Cost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cost. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cost
2 of 2 verb
cost; costing
1
: to have a price of : require payment of
each ticket costs one dollar
2
: to cause one to pay, spend, or lose
mistakes cost him his job
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