cost
cost Lexical Profile
cost Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An amount that has to be paid or spent to buy or obtain something; the financial expense of an item or service.
"The total cost of renovating the historic library exceeded the initial budget."
The effort, loss, or sacrifice necessary to achieve or obtain something.
"She achieved tremendous professional success, but it came at the cost of her personal health."
Legal expenses incurred in prosecuting or defending a lawsuit, especially those awarded to the prevailing party (usually used in the plural).
"The judge ordered the defendant to pay damages as well as all court costs."
• verb
To require the payment of a specified sum of money before it can be acquired or done.
"Each ticket to the symphony concert will cost fifty dollars."
To cause the loss of something valuable or desirable as a consequence of an action or mistake.
"A simple navigation error cost the cycling team their lead in the final stage."
To estimate or determine the future financial expense of producing a product or completing an operation.
"The accounting department has carefully costed every phase of the engineering project."
Word Nuance & Usage
In standard usage, the past tense and past participle of the verb sense 'to require the payment of' is invariant ('cost'), whereas the business sense 'to estimate the price of' is regular and conjugates as 'costed'.
• Rhymes for cost
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English costen, borrowed from Old French coster, from Vulgar Latin costare, a contraction of Classical Latin constare meaning 'to stand at, stand firm, or cost' (from com- 'together' + stare 'to stand').