ikˈspen(t)siv, ek-, -sēv also -səv adjective
1. archaic : given to lavish expenditure : extravagant
young men of this age are … so expensive both of their health and fortune — Richard Steele
2. : attended with or involving losses, sacrifices, or continued drains on one's resources : costly , dear
they … tightened credit, raising discount rates and otherwise making it more expensive to borrow — L.H.Haney
an aggressive foreign policy meant expensive alliances — J.H.Plumb
3. : characterized by high price or cost that sometimes exceeds a thing's intrinsic worth or a prospective buyer's financial resources
wind and water power were free; but coal was expensive — Lewis Mumford
three expensive but flourishing weeklies devoted to absolutely nothing but the life of the rich and titled — Aldous Huxley
Synonyms: see costly