relatively expensive costs

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "relatively expensive costs" is not correct and is redundant in written English.
You can use it when discussing the costs of something that are higher than average, but the word "costs" already implies expense. Example: "The relatively expensive costs of living in the city have deterred many potential residents."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Nevertheless, despite all these therapeutic advances and their relatively expensive costs, a variable proportion of patients with several autoimmune diseases including RA and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), who initially benefited from biologics, eventually lost response [ 24– 26].

BioMed Research International

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

It is relatively expensive, costing $200 as a stand-alone purchase.

The New York Times

While disconnecting people who are able to pay but choose not to can be justified, the experts stressed that in a city like Detroit, with its sky-high poverty and unemployment rate, the relatively expensive cost of water is simply unaffordable for a significant portion of the population.

The Guardian

The only disadvantage is that it is relatively expensive, costing approximately $1.70 per person.

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

The cost of living was seen as relatively expensive, especially costs of food and other necessities like housing.

BMC Nursing

Despite each step of carbon capture and storage being well understood, the combined technology remains relatively expensive, with costs estimated between $50 and $100 a tonne of CO2.

The Guardian

Radionuclide imaging probes and instrumentation are relatively expensive, with costs comparable to MRI.

Breast Cancer Research

Comparisons can be made between interventions, and priorities can be established based on those interventions that are relatively inexpensive (low cost per QALY) and those that are relatively expensive (high cost per QALY).

British Journal of Cancer

But the films were also relatively expensive, reportedly costing a combined $300 million.

Forbes

If the ratio of previous gains in benefits and costs has been relatively expensive (i.e., relatively higher costs per clinical benefit unit), the efficiency frontier approach leads to higher maximum reimbursable prices for new approvals, too.

BMC Infectious Diseases

The trade-off with these flow batteries is that current active materials, such as vanadium, are relatively expensive, meaning that system costs are high.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To avoid redundancy, use either "relatively expensive" or "high costs". Using both together can sound awkward. For example, prefer "relatively expensive items" or "high costs of living".

Common error

Avoid using "relatively expensive costs" as it's repetitive. "Costs" already implies expense. Instead, opt for concise alternatives such as "relatively expensive" or "high costs."

Linguistic Context

The phrase primarily functions as a descriptive modifier. It aims to qualify the noun it precedes, indicating that the associated costs are high but not prohibitively so. As Ludwig AI points out, this phrase is often redundant.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

36%

Formal & Business

24%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "relatively expensive costs" isn't technically incorrect, it's often considered redundant and less effective than using either "relatively expensive" or "high costs" alone. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the combination of these words creates a phrase that is generally discouraged in written English because "costs" inherently implies expense. It's best to opt for more concise alternatives to improve clarity and avoid repetition. Considering that "costs" itself implies "expensive", it's more appropriate to express the same meaning by stating the adjective alone without repeating the obvious.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

moderately high expenses

Emphasizes the expenses are not extremely high, but still significant.

somewhat pricey expenses

Uses the word "pricey" to suggest expense, but qualifies it with "somewhat" to indicate it's not exorbitant.

comparatively high expenditures

Highlights the expenditures in relation to something else, indicating they are higher in comparison.

reasonably costly outlays

Indicates that the outlays are costly, but within a reasonable range.

fairly substantial charges

Suggests that the charges are significant, but not excessively so.

somewhat elevated prices

Refers to prices that are higher than average, but not dramatically so.

noticeably increased fees

Highlights that the fees have increased to a level that is noticeable, but not necessarily extreme.

slightly steep rates

Implies that the rates are a bit high, but not overwhelmingly so.

marginally inflated values

Suggests that the values are inflated by a small margin, making them somewhat expensive.

incrementally higher dues

Highlights that the dues are higher, but only by a small increment.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "relatively expensive costs"?

While not strictly ungrammatical, "relatively expensive costs" is often considered redundant. It's generally better to use either "relatively expensive" or "high costs" to avoid repetition.

What does "relatively expensive" mean?

The term "relatively expensive" means something is costly in comparison to other similar items or options. It's not the most expensive, but it's above average in price.

What are some alternatives to "relatively expensive costs"?

You can use phrases like "moderately high expenses", "somewhat pricey expenses", or simply "high costs" depending on the specific context.

How to use "relatively expensive" in a sentence?

You can use "relatively expensive" to describe a product, service, or lifestyle. For example: "Organic food is relatively expensive compared to conventionally grown produce."