What does inexpensiveness mean?
Inexpensiveness is a noun meaning the quality of being inexpensive—that is, available or obtainable at a comparatively low cost. Unlike inexpensive, which normally describes a product, service, or place, inexpensiveness names an abstract property. It is especially useful when the focus is not on any single cheap item but on the general affordability of an activity, system, or arrangement: the inexpensiveness of local rail travel, for example. The word has a practical, evaluative connotation and may suggest good value, though context determines whether it carries a positive or merely neutral sense. It is grammatically standard in British and American English, but less frequent and more formal-sounding than the adjective inexpensive, and many speakers prefer phrases such as low cost or affordability. Its unusual form also makes it memorable: it extends a familiar cost comparison into a noun for the quality on which that comparison rests.
nounThe quality of being inexpensive, especially the quality of being available or obtainable at a comparatively low cost. It is an abstract noun naming affordability rather than an inexpensive item itself.
- The quality or condition of being inexpensive, especially of a product, service, activity, or option.
"The inexpensiveness of the city's transit system made it especially attractive to students."
"The inexpensiveness of the city's transit system made it especially attractive to students."
"Her essay praised the inexpensiveness of the scheme but questioned whether it would work in practice."
Plural forms such as "inexpensivenesses" are not standard in ordinary usage.
"The inexpensiveness of the local market made the trip worthwhile."
A bargain is cheap; inexpensiveness is the quality that makes it a bargain.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inexpensiveness come from?
Inexpensiveness is an English derivation formed by adding the suffix -ness to inexpensive. Inexpensive combines the negative prefix in- with expensive; expensive ultimately comes through Middle French and Latin from expendere, "to weigh out" or "spend." Related English forms include expense, expensive, and expensiveness, all reflecting the same Latin idea of spending or cost.
How inexpensiveness is actually used
This is an uncountable noun in standard modern usage. It is less frequent and more formal-sounding than the adjective inexpensive; in everyday speech, phrases such as "low cost" and "affordability" are often preferred.
Easily confused with inexpensiveness
Inexpensiveness is a noun naming the quality of low cost, whereas inexpensive is an adjective describing a particular product, service, or place.