indirect cost

noun

: a cost that is not identifiable with a specific product, function, or activity

Examples of indirect cost 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.
Other indirect costs, related to the cost of fuel and packaging, tend to hit later. — Aya S. Chacar, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026 Other indirect costs, related to the cost of fuel and packaging, tend to hit later. — Aya S. Chacar, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026 Treatment can be costly, and indirect costs – such as the effects on a community’s workforce – can also be substantial. — Evan MacDonald, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026 That adds up to indirect costs to consumers, through the health and climate effects of burning more fuel, and direct pocketbook costs too; buying more gasoline magnifies the effect of price hikes. — Camila Domonoske, NPR, 23 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for indirect cost

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of indirect cost was circa 1909

Rhymes for indirect cost

See All Rhymes for indirect cost

Browse Nearby Words

indirect
indirect cost
indirect development
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Indirect cost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indirect%20cost. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All