capital-intensive

adjective

cap·​i·​tal-in·​ten·​sive ˈka-pə-tᵊl- in-ˈten(t)-siv 

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

Now, the shift towards a more normalized rate environment has had a significant impact on shale oil producers, many of whom rely on debt to fund their capital-intensive operations. —Steven Dudash, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025

And the more uncertainty there is, the less likely that investors or lenders will be prepared to finance capital-intensive projects. —The Editors, National Review, 28 Mar. 2025

The bottom line: Growing plants indoors is energy- and capital-intensive and is a difficult business to scale with VC. —Katie Fehrenbacher, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025

Startups are highly scalable and capital-intensive, which means that capital acquisition and management are crucial skills for finding success. —Abdo Riani, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for capital-intensive

• antihypertensive
• apprehensive
• coextensive
• comprehensive
• hypertensive
• hypotensive
• inexpensive
• inoffensive
• normotensive
• counteroffensive
• defensive
• expensive