at a maximum cost

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "at a maximum cost" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when specifying the highest amount of money that can be spent on a particular item or service. Example: "We are looking to complete the project at a maximum cost of $10,000."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Nice's quality-adjusted life year test would only justify the policy at a maximum cost of £731m – and it would have to avert every excess death.

The Guardian

Coventry University College will focus on professional courses including accounting, law and marketing, at a maximum cost of £4,800 for a full-time degree student.

The Guardian

In other words: Let's all become like Sweden, where every child from the age of 1 is guaranteed a full-time place in preschool at a maximum cost of about €150, or $195, a month, and 9 out of 10 men take time off with baby, forcing human resource departments to become increasingly gender-blind in their recruitment policy.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The costs per shade sail were on average approximately $A11 500£5205€5840 $40; $7708), and the construction costs varied depending on the site conditions, with a maximum cost of $A22 000 at one school.

British Medical Journal

The contract cost of the ships was set at the construction cost plus an 8% profit for Maryland Steel, with a maximum cost of $640,000 each.

Wikipedia

The contract cost of the ships was set at the construction cost plus an 8% profit for Maryland Steel, but with a maximum cost of $640,000 each.

Wikipedia

The contract cost of the ships was set at the construction cost plus an 8% profit for Maryland Steel, but with a maximum cost of $640,000 per ship.

Wikipedia

With all the willfulness of genius, he created the minimum amount of gallery space at the maximum cost and the all but complete sacrifice of the Museum's essential requirements.

The New Yorker

"Even at maximum cost of 25,000 Australian dollars the truck would be a business premises that is less than half the bond on a prime retail lease in Sydney that I was previously looking at," he says.

BBC

All three examples show that compared with a full-set robust optimization, the proposed adaptive robust optimization algorithm not only improves the optimization convergence rate, but also find a higher optimal NPV when the optimization is terminated at a maximum affordable simulation cost using the stochastic simplex gradient.

Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

At the time, the maximum cost of a trip on any of the rail networks except the Airport Express and first class of the MTR East Rail line was HK$34.8, the cost of travelling between East Tsim Sha Tsui Station and Lo Wu Station; the current maximum cost is $47.5, the cost of travelling between Disneyland Resort Station and either Lo Wu Station or Lok Ma Chau Station.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "at a maximum cost" in contracts to protect against unexpected price increases and ensure financial predictability.

Common error

Ensure that the "at a maximum cost" includes all potential expenses, such as taxes, shipping, and installation, to prevent surprises later on.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "at a maximum cost" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause by specifying the upper limit of expenditure. It indicates a constraint or limitation on spending. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is usable and understood.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "at a maximum cost" is a grammatically sound and usable prepositional phrase indicating an upper limit on expenditure. Although Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is valid, its usage is relatively rare, as shown by the limited number of examples. It appears in neutral to professional contexts, including news articles, scientific publications, and business documents. When using "at a maximum cost", remember to clearly define the scope of the cost and account for all potential expenses to prevent misunderstandings or budget overruns. Alternatives like "with a cost ceiling" or "up to a cost of" can provide variety while conveying a similar meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

with a cost ceiling

Focuses on the idea of having an explicit cost limit.

not exceeding a cost of

More formal and emphasizes that the cost will not go above a certain point.

at an upper cost limit of

Similar to the original but uses "upper limit" for emphasis.

with costs capped at

Emphasizes the action of limiting the cost.

up to a cost of

Simple and direct way of indicating the maximum allowable cost.

limited to a cost of

Highlights the cost restriction.

with a maximum expenditure of

More formal emphasizing spending limit.

no more than a cost of

Emphasizes that the cost will not surpass a certain amount.

pegged at a cost of

Highlights a fixed amount.

subject to a cost maximum of

Formal and indicates that the cost is subject to a limit.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "at a maximum cost"?

You can use alternatives like "with a cost ceiling", "not exceeding a cost of", or "up to a cost of" depending on the context.

What does it mean to do something "at a maximum cost"?

It means that the total expenditure for a particular project or item should not exceed a specified amount. This sets a budget limit and helps control expenses.

When should I use "at a maximum cost" in a sentence?

Use "at a maximum cost" when you want to set an upper limit on the amount of money that can be spent on something. For instance, "We aim to complete the renovation "at a maximum cost" of $5000."

What's the difference between "at a maximum cost" and "at a minimum cost"?

"At a maximum cost" refers to the highest acceptable price, while "at a minimum cost" refers to the lowest possible price. They represent opposite ends of a cost spectrum.