What does inexpensively mean?
Inexpensively means at a low cost or price. It is the adverb form of inexpensive and is commonly used with verbs such as buy, travel, eat, live, and decorate. For example, a visitor may travel inexpensively by using public transport and staying in budget accommodation. The word is suitable in everyday, professional, and formal contexts. Its meaning is broadly similar to cheaply, economically, and affordably, but it tends to emphasize the absence of high expense rather than suggesting that something is of poor quality. Inexpensively can also describe the efficient performance of an activity: a business may market a product inexpensively while still providing reliable service. Its opposite is expensively. The word is formed from the prefix in-, meaning not, and expensive, with the adverbial ending -ly added to create the adverb.
adverbAt a low price or cost; cheaply.
- In a manner involving low cost or expense.
"The group traveled inexpensively by staying in inexpensive guesthouses."
"They bought the equipment inexpensively from a local supplier."
"The course provides useful training without requiring students to travel inexpensively abroad."
Inexpensively combines the negative prefix in- with expensive, turning a judgment about price into a description of how to do something economically.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
How inexpensively is actually used
Inexpensively is neutral to formal in register. It focuses specifically on low cost, whereas cheaply can sometimes suggest low quality in addition to a low price.
Easily confused with inexpensively
Inexpensive is an adjective describing something that costs little, while inexpensively is an adverb describing how an action is performed at low cost.