# returns to scale

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/returns-to-scale
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

a function describing how returns scale when production increases in the long run

## Examples

- The factory sees better returns to scale as it grows.
- When the company doubled its equipment, it achieved higher returns to scale by reducing the cost per unit.
- Economists analyze whether a firm experiences increasing or decreasing returns to scale by observing how output changes relative to the proportional expansion of all inputs.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.