Cost

Cost

In production, research, retail, and accounting, a cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one of acquisition, in which case the amount of money expended to acquire it is counted as cost. In this case, money is the input that is gone in order to acquire the thing. This acquisition cost may be the sum of the cost of production as incurred by the original producer, and further costs of transaction as incurred by the acquirer over and above the price paid to the producer. Usually, the price also includes a mark-up for profit over the cost of production.

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Famous quotes containing the word cost:

    Oh high is the price of parenthood,
    And daughters may cost you double.
    You dare not forget, as you thought you could,
    That youth is a plague and a trouble.
    Phyllis McGinley (20th century)

    This people must cease to hold slaves, and to make war on Mexico, though it cost them their existence as a people.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    The true reformer does not want time, nor money, nor coöperation, nor advice. What is time but the stuff delay is made of? And depend upon it, our virtue will not live on the interest of our money. He expects no income, but outgoes; so soon as we begin to count the cost, the cost begins. And as for advice, the information floating in the atmosphere of society is as evanescent and unserviceable to him as gossamer for clubs of Hercules.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)