capital-intensive

adjective

cap·​i·​tal-in·​ten·​sive ˈka-pə-tᵊl- in-ˈten(t)-siv How to pronounce capital-intensive (audio)
ˈkap-tᵊl-
: having a high capital cost per unit of output
especially : requiring greater expenditure in the form of capital than of labor

Examples of capital-intensive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Firefly is deep into the capital-intensive development of a new medium-class rocket named Eclipse in partnership with Northrop Grumman, which made a $50 million strategic investment into Firefly in May. Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2025 Unburdened by the capital-intensive need to manufacture its own vehicles, the company focuses on its strengths: its proprietary self-driving algorithms. Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025 Moreover, shifting to capital-intensive warfare to offset diminishing prime-age soldier populations will likely require the recruitment of higher-quality personnel to service, use, and complement the more sophisticated equipment. Mark L. Haas, Foreign Affairs, 24 July 2025 Compute power is capital-intensive and a large data center can cost upwards of $300 million. Jennifer Lotito, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for capital-intensive

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of capital-intensive was in 1959

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Capital-intensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capital-intensive. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!