at all costs - Definitions from Dictionary.com

4 results for: at all costs

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

cost

Audio Help [kawst, kost] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, cost or, for 10–12, cost·ed, cost·ing.

–noun

1.	the price paid to acquire, produce, accomplish, or maintain anything: the high cost of a good meal.

2.	an outlay or expenditure of money, time, labor, trouble, etc.: What will the cost be to me?

3.	a sacrifice, loss, or penalty: to work at the cost of one's health.

costs, Law.

a.	money allowed to a successful party in a lawsuit in compensation for legal expenses incurred, chargeable to the unsuccessful party.

b.	money due to a court or one of its officers for services in a cause.

–verb (used with object)

5.	to require the payment of (money or something else of value) in an exchange: That camera cost $200.

6.	to result in or entail the loss of: Carelessness costs lives.

7.	to cause to lose or suffer: The accident cost her a broken leg.

8.	to entail (effort or inconvenience): Courtesy costs little.

9.	to cause to pay or sacrifice: That request will cost us two weeks' extra work.

10.	to estimate or determine the cost of (manufactured articles, new processes, etc.).

–verb (used without object)

11.	to estimate or determine costs, as of manufacturing something.

—Verb phrase

12.	cost out, to calculate the cost of (a project, product, etc.) in advance: to cost out a major construction project.

—Idiom

13.	at all costs, regardless of the effort involved; by any means necessary: The stolen painting must be recovered at all costs. Also, at any cost.

[Origin: 1200–50; (v.) ME costen < AF, OF co(u)ster < L constāre to stand together, be settled, cost; cf. constant; (n.) ME < AF, OF, n. deriv. of the v.

]

—Related forms

costless, adjective

cost·less·ness, noun

—Synonyms 1. charge, expense, expenditure, outlay. See price. 3. detriment.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
at all costs

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

cost Audio Help (kôst) Pronunciation Key
n.

An amount paid or required in payment for a purchase; a price.
The expenditure of something, such as time or labor, necessary for the attainment of a goal: "Freedom to advocate unpopular causes does not require that such advocacy be without cost" (Milton Friedman).
costs Law The charges fixed for litigation, often payable by the losing party.

v.   cost, cost·ing, costs

v.   intr.
To require a specified payment, expenditure, effort, or loss: It costs more to live in the city.

v.   tr.

To have as a price.
To cause to lose, suffer, or sacrifice: Participating in the strike cost me my job.
past tense and past participle costed To estimate or determine the cost of: The accountants costed out our expenses.

[Middle English, from Old French, from coster, to cost, from Latin cōnstāre, to be fixed, cost; see constant.]

cost'less adj.

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

at all costs
adverb
regardless of the cost involved; "he wanted to save her life at all cost"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
at all costs

no matter what the cost or outcome may be
Example: We must prevent disaster at all costs.

Arabic:	بأي ثَمنِ كان، مهما كلَّف الأمْـر
Chinese (Simplified):	不惜任何代价
Chinese (Traditional):	不惜任何代價
Czech:	za každou cenu
Danish:	for enhver pris
Dutch:	tot elke prijs
Estonian:	iga hinna eest
Finnish:	hinnalla millä hyvänsä
French:	à tout prix
German:	um jeden Preis
Greek:	πάση θυσία
Hungarian:	mindenáron
Icelandic:	fyrir alla muni
Indonesian:	bagaimanapun juga
Italian:	a ogni costo*

Japanese:	ぜひとも
Latvian:	par katru cenu
Lithuanian:	bet kokia kaina
Norwegian:	for enhver pris
Polish:	za wszelką cenę
Portuguese (Brazil):	a todo custo
Portuguese (Portugal):	a todo o custo
Romanian:	cu orice preţ
Russian:	любой ценой
Slovak:	za každú cenu
Slovenian:	za vsako ceno
Spanish:	a toda costa
Swedish:	till varje pris
Turkish:	ne pahasına olusa olsun