0 the amount of money needed to buy, do, or make something: --
The estimated costs of the building project are well over £1 million.
We need to cut our advertising costs.
I was able to buy the damaged goods at cost (= for only the amount of money needed to produce or get the goods, without any extra money added for profit).
It's difficult for most people to deal with the rising cost of (= increasing price of) healthcare.
The supermarket chain announced that it was cutting the cost (= reducing the price) of all its fresh and frozen meat.
In most families, two salaries are essential to cover the cost of (= pay for) raising a family.
When you buy a new computer, you usually get software included at no extra cost (= for no additional money).
1 something that is given, needed, or lost in order to get a particular thing: --
UK It's not worth getting into an argument with Paula, as I learned to my cost (= from my unpleasant experience of having done so).
She has finally got the job she wanted, but at great personal cost (= she has had to give up other things that were important to her).
The driver managed not to hit the child who ran in front of his car, but only at the cost of injuring himself.
We were going to paint the house ourselves, but when we considered the cost in time and effort, we decided to get a painter to do it for us.
2 If something costs an amount of money, you must pay that amount to buy or do it: --
3 to cause someone to lose or destroy something valuable: --
4 the amount of money needed to buy, do, or make something, or an amount spent for something: --
5 that which is given, needed, or lost in order to obtain something: --
This reduces the costs of financial intermediation and raises the overall return on investment.
The reduction in collateral relative to debt raises the costs of lending and reduces the return on investment and the aggregate rate of growth.
In a nonlinear environment, it would be enough to have locally increasing returns like setup costs.
Additional copies, not exceeding 200, may be had at cost price : these should be ordered when the final proof is returned.
In contrast, when eco-forestry is unsubsidized, groups meeting their own set-up costs, the returns per hectare are still positive but very modest.
First, pricing and other policies that artificially 'subsidize' the returns to conversion activities on forest land or the costs of conversion need to be reformed.
Presumably this approach is a cost-saving measure of the publishers.
A cost of production analysis of conventional versus integrated versus organic apple productions systems.
