# costing

/ˈkɔstɪŋ/ (US) · /kˈɒstɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/costing
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. calculating expenses

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

the act of calculating how much a business project or product will cost to make or do.

For teachers: the systematic estimation of the total cost of a process, project, or product. Often used in the plural in business contexts.

- The manager asked for a full costing of the new marketing plan before approving it.
- The finance department provided detailed costings for the infrastructure project, accounting for both material inflation and potential labour shortages.

Usage: Often used as a countable noun in British English ('the costings'), but frequently uncountable in American English.

## Examples

- We need a full costing before we can approve the new office design.
- The finance department rejected the proposal because the initial costing failed to account for rising fuel prices.
- A detailed costing of the infrastructure project revealed that labor expenses would likely exceed the original budget by fifteen percent due to specialized skill requirements.

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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.