— expensively , adv. — expensiveness , n.
/ik spen"siv/ , adj.
entailing great expense; very high-priced; costly: an expensive party.
[ 1620-30; EXPENSE + -IVE ]
Syn . EXPENSIVE, COSTLY, DEAR, HIGH-PRICED apply to something that is high in price. EXPENSIVE is applied to whatever entails considerable expense; it suggests a price more than the average person would normally be able to pay or a price paid only for something special: an expensive automobile. COSTLY implies that the price is a large sum, usually because of the fineness, preciousness, etc., of the object: a costly jewel. DEAR is commonly applied in England to something that is selling beyond its usual or just price. In the U.S., HIGH-PRICED is the usual equivalent.
Ant . cheap, low-priced.