prohibitively costly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "prohibitively costly" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It means that something is so expensive that it prevents or makes it difficult to do or obtain. Example: The price of the designer handbag was prohibitively costly, so I had to settle for a cheaper alternative.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

An out-of-town tryout was seen as prohibitively costly.

The New York Times

Grade separation is prohibitively costly for most rail level crossings.

Safety Science

This will make possible some transfers which were previously prohibitively costly or slow.

University of California, Berkeley

The extension of these complex couplings to simulate full-scale tests is prohibitively costly.

Combustion and Flame

For those who are of age, those options can be prohibitively costly.

The Washington Post

It may be impossible or prohibitively costly to automate the process in question.

Harvard Business Review

These challenges can make extensive surveys prohibitively costly and time-consuming.

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

In factorial designs with many factors and/or levels, however, sufficient replication is often prohibitively costly.

Journal of Biomedical Informatics

Basic Internet access is prohibitively costly for many more people in the former than in the latter.

The Washington Post

In this sense, "conformity assessment" acts as a bottleneck, and can be prohibitively costly for the U.S. exporter.

The Washington Post

As a result, approaches which were previously considered prohibitively costly have become both more efficient and scalable.

Procedia Computer Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "prohibitively costly" when you want to emphasize that the expense is a major obstacle, preventing a project or purchase from happening. For instance, instead of saying "the project was too expensive", specify "the project was "prohibitively costly", making it impossible to proceed".

Common error

Don't use "prohibitively costly" when simply stating something is expensive. This phrase implies the cost is so high that it acts as a complete barrier. If it's merely expensive, use alternatives like "very expensive" or "costly" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "prohibitively costly" functions as an adverbial modifier intensifying the adjective "costly". It indicates that something is not just expensive, but so expensive that it becomes an insurmountable obstacle. Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness of the phrase.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

36%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "prohibitively costly" is a common and grammatically sound expression used to describe expenses that are so high they prevent a certain action or purchase. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and widespread use. It's important to use this phrase when the cost truly acts as a barrier, making something impossible rather than simply expensive. Alternatives such as "excessively expensive" or "unaffordably expensive" can be used depending on the specific context. The phrase appears frequently in science, news, and business contexts, indicating its relevance in discussions about feasibility and resource allocation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

cost-prohibitive

A more concise way of saying the cost is a barrier.

unaffordably expensive

Directly states the inability to afford the cost.

financially prohibitive

Emphasizes that financial constraints prevent the action or purchase.

overly expensive

A simpler way to state that the cost is too high.

excessively expensive

Emphasizes the extreme level of expense, making it unaffordable.

impractically expensive

Highlights the impracticality due to the high cost.

unfeasibly priced

Focuses on the impracticality of the price in relation to its value or budget.

inordinately priced

Highlights the unreasonable or disproportionate nature of the cost.

beyond budget

Indicates the cost exceeds the allocated budget.

economically unviable

Indicates the cost makes the venture or item not economically practical.

FAQs

How can I use "prohibitively costly" in a sentence?

You can use "prohibitively costly" to describe something that is so expensive that it prevents its purchase or implementation. For example, "Building a hard fence along the entire border would be "prohibitively costly" and inefficient".

What's a simple way to define "prohibitively costly"?

"Prohibitively costly" means something is so expensive that it effectively prevents you from doing or obtaining it. You can think of it as 'too expensive to proceed'.

What can I say instead of "prohibitively costly"?

You can use alternatives like "excessively expensive", "unaffordably expensive", or "cost prohibitive" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "very expensive" or "prohibitively costly"?

"Very expensive" simply indicates a high price. "Prohibitively costly" implies the price is so high it acts as a barrier, preventing the action or purchase. Use "prohibitively costly" when the expense is a deal-breaker.