cannot be priced

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "cannot be priced" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing something that is considered invaluable or cannot be assigned a monetary value. Example: "The memories we created during our family vacation cannot be priced; they are worth more than any amount of money."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

At Expedia, for instance, when I clicked on the Alamo price ($351.12 a week plus taxes and surcharges), the site told me the vehicle "cannot be priced".

The New York Times - Tech

Buyers must earn no more than 130percentt of the median income, or $109,700 for a family of three, Ms. Weir said, and the units cannot be priced above $282,000.

The New York Times

"Vanlev, if approved, cannot be priced at a premium, and with over 100 ways to treat hypertension there is no reason to use this as first-line," Butler said.

Forbes

For evaluation problems, including multiple attributes on different measurement scales that cannot be priced easily, multiple criteria analysis (MCA) techniques are recommended (Mollaghasemi and Pet Edwards, 1997).

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

If you need to make money quickly or have pieces that cannot be priced high, this option could still be worth considering.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Truly exclusive, unique product cannot be price-shopped and can command full price.

Forbes

Fracking simply cannot be price positive for European consumers over the medium term, because the continent cannot replicate what took the US better parts of over three decades to achieve.

Forbes

Various assets face revaluations; many assets that cannot currently be priced by banks are likely to receive new value forms.

Financial Innovation

On the other hand, if, for instance the added value to the consumer of having to take one pill only will be priced in, it cannot be ruled out that the price will be higher.

BMJ Open

Unlike fire insurance for a home, they cannot be easily priced by looking at history and making statistics; in fact, pricing them is a complex problem whose solution won the Nobel prize for Myron Scholes and Robert Merton last year.

Science Magazine

Since in this part of the world people commonly lack the lactase enzyme and consequently cannot digest milk, tall lattes are priced to the western expatriate market.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider stronger verbs such as "quantify" or "measure" instead of "price" when the context involves assessing something that is not usually assigned a monetary value. For instance, "the impact cannot be measured".

Common error

Avoid using "cannot be priced" when you simply lack information about the price of something. For instance, instead of saying "the vintage car cannot be priced", say "the price of the vintage car is unknown".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cannot be priced" functions as a passive construction expressing an inability to assign a price to something. This often occurs when discussing intangible qualities or unique items, as evidenced by examples from Ludwig, which highlight situations where the value transcends monetary assessment.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "cannot be priced" is a passive construction used to indicate the inability to assign a monetary value to something, often due to its unique nature or intangible qualities. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is grammatically correct and suitable for written English. It's most commonly found in News & Media and Scientific contexts, with neutral register, and carries the communicative purpose of emphasizing value beyond financial considerations. Alternatives such as "is invaluable" or "is priceless" can be used to convey similar meanings. Ensure its usage is confined to contexts where monetary valuation is genuinely impossible or inappropriate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is invaluable

Expresses that something is so valuable that a price cannot adequately represent its worth.

is priceless

Indicates something's value is beyond any monetary assessment.

is beyond monetary value

Formally states that something's worth cannot be measured in money.

is worth more than money

Highlights the intangible value exceeding any financial equivalent.

defies valuation

Highlights the difficulty or impossibility of assigning a value.

is immeasurable

Conveys that something is too great or complex to be measured or priced.

cannot be quantified

Emphasizes the inability to express something in numerical terms, including price.

is not quantifiable

Similar to "cannot be quantified", emphasizing the lack of a numerical representation.

is beyond calculation

Suggests the value is too complex to determine through normal means.

is of infinite value

Implies the value is unlimited and therefore cannot be contained within a price.

FAQs

What does "cannot be priced" mean?

The phrase "cannot be priced" means that something is considered so valuable, unique, or abstract that assigning a monetary price to it is impossible or inappropriate. It implies the value exceeds any financial equivalent.

When is it appropriate to use "cannot be priced"?

Use "cannot be priced" when describing intangible assets, like memories or ethical principles, or when something is genuinely unique or irreplaceable. For items whose price is unknown, it's better to say "the price is unknown".

What are some alternatives to "cannot be priced"?

You can use alternatives like "is invaluable", "is priceless", or "is beyond monetary value" to convey a similar meaning depending on the context.

Is there a difference between "cannot be priced" and "cannot be valued"?

While similar, "cannot be priced" specifically refers to a monetary value, while "cannot be valued" is broader and can encompass other forms of value, such as sentimental or intrinsic worth. You may also consider the alternative "defies valuation".