least cost efficient

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "least cost efficient" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing options or strategies that minimize costs while maintaining efficiency. Example: "After analyzing the budget, we found that the least cost efficient method was not sustainable for our project."

✓ Grammatically correct

Journal of Shipping and Trade

Carbon Balance and Management

Diabetes Care

International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility

WikiHow

Applied Energy

Computer Communications

BBC

Environmental Systems Research

The Guardian

Marine Policy

Plosone

Bplans

Encyclopedia Britannica

Health Economics Review

BMC Health Services Research

The New Yorker

TechCrunch

The Electricity Journal

The New York Times

BMC Cancer

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Vice

Huffington Post

Applied Water Science

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

The ship's operation and route choice is expected to be influenced mainly if ECA compliance is attained using MGO/LSF, which is anyway seen as being one of the least cost-efficient ways forward.

Journal of Shipping and Trade

This makes stratified sampling the least cost-efficient alternative for low costs (fewer field plots) and the most cost-efficient for high costs (more field plots).

Carbon Balance and Management

For example, the most cost-efficient way to consume calories is with oils and sweets, bread, pasta, and rice, and the least cost-efficient way is with fruits and vegetables (9).

Diabetes Care

Competitive isomorphism refers to "how competitive forces drive organizations towards adopting least-cost, efficient structures, and practices" (Moll et al. 2006, p. 187).

International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility

Be sure you have at least a small cost efficient home that you can come back to for planning.

WikiHow

We conclude that designing an efficient and least cost grid may require the capability to capture diverse physical and operational policy scenarios of the future grid.

Applied Energy

The proposed Least-Cost DC-CMST Heuristic can be applied to the topological design of large local networks and to the construction of least cost broadcast and multicast trees for efficient routing algorithms.

Computer Communications

"What we have got to make sure is the measures we employ are the most efficient, impose the least cost on the industry and consumers, and obviously are carefully monitored to make sure that they are effective," says Mr Turnbull.

BBC

For example, scenario C with the least cost may be preferred in recessionary period; however, this cost-efficient strategy should be based on sufficient coal supply.

Environmental Systems Research

"Climate policy should achieve its objectives at least cost, not erode the competitiveness of trade-exposed industries, and support efficient long-term investment, the groups concluded".

The Guardian

Efficient management of natural resources requires that the least cost fishers operate in a fishery.

Marine Policy

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for "least cost efficient" outcomes, prioritize thorough planning and comparison of all potential expenses to identify areas for optimization and savings.

Common error

Avoid using "least cost efficient" when you actually mean "most cost effective". "Least cost efficient" refers to the option that provides the worst value for the money, not the best.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "least cost efficient" functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. It describes a characteristic of something in terms of its economic value and productivity. As confirmed by Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "least cost efficient" is a phrase used to describe something that provides the worst possible value in terms of cost versus benefit. Although Ludwig indicates the phrase is grammatically correct, it is important to use it accurately to avoid confusion with "most cost effective". Primarily found in scientific and news contexts, the phrase serves to critique inefficient uses of resources. When seeking alternatives, consider options like "most wasteful" or "inefficient use of funds" for similar impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

most cost-effective

Highlights the balance between cost and effectiveness, differing by directly comparing value and expense.

economical and effective

Reorders the words to emphasize the 'economical' aspect first.

most economical

Focuses on being budget-friendly above all else, differing by emphasizing savings.

budget-conscious and efficient

Stresses the awareness of budget limitations, differing by highlighting financial prudence.

cost-optimized and efficient

Stresses the optimization of costs, differing by highlighting strategic financial management.

cheapest yet efficient

Directly states cheapness and efficiency, differing by being more explicit.

value-driven and efficient

Focuses on the value received for the cost, differing by prioritizing overall worth.

low-cost and high-performing

Emphasizes performance relative to the low cost, differing by quantifying the benefit.

thrifty and effective

Highlights thriftiness, differing by emphasizing careful resource management.

least expensive and productive

Highlights productivity, differing by focusing on the output achieved for minimal expense.

FAQs

What does "least cost efficient" mean?

The term "least cost efficient" describes something that is the worst option when considering the cost relative to the benefit or output. It means it's not a good value for the money spent.

Is "least cost efficient" the opposite of "most cost effective"?

Yes, "least cost efficient" is essentially the opposite of "most cost effective". If something is "most cost effective", it provides the best value (benefit for the cost), whereas "least cost efficient" provides the worst.

When should I use "least cost efficient" in a sentence?

Use "least cost efficient" when you want to point out the option or method that gives you the least return or benefit for the amount of money you spend. For instance, "Using that old machine is the "least cost efficient" way to produce our widgets because it requires constant repairs and wastes a lot of material."

What's a good alternative to "least cost efficient" if I want to convey a similar meaning?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "most wasteful", "inefficient use of funds", or "poor value for money" to convey the idea of something being "least cost efficient".