affordability

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noun

The extent or degree to which something is affordable, as measured by its cost relative to the amount that the purchaser is able to pay.

“First-time home buyers are feeling the squeeze of higher interest rates with mortgage affordability at its worst level for 16 years.”

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Meanings

nounaffordability (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe extent or degree to which something is affordable, as measured by its cost relative to the amount that the purchaser is able to pay.

    First-time home buyers are feeling the squeeze of higher interest rates with mortgage affordability at its worst level for 16 years.

    2 more examples

    Fares would have to increase significantly beyond affordability to cover the costs of lightly used services.

    2023 March 8, Gareth Dennis, “The Reshaping of things to come...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 47

    Trump has said that undocumented immigrants share the blame for America’s once-in-a-generation home affordability crisis, but the president-elect’s deportation plans may backfire, driving up the cost of homebuying even further.

    2024 November 19, Samantha Delouya and Julia Vargas Jones, “Here’s how mass deportations could change the housing market”, in CNN
  2. uncountableA desirable degree of that characteristic: synonym of inexpensiveness.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
inexpensiveness

Origin

From afford + -ability.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch betaalbaarheid
  • betaalbaarheidthe extent to which something is affordable
Finnish edullisuus
  • edullisuusthe extent to which something is affordable
German Erschwinglichkeit
  • Erschwinglichkeitthe extent to which something is affordable
Hungarian megfizethetőség
  • megfizethetőségthe extent to which something is affordable
Italian convenienza, abbordabilità
  • convenienzathe extent to which something is affordable
  • abbordabilitàthe extent to which something is affordable
Polish przystępność
  • przystępnośćthe extent to which something is affordable
Portuguese acessibilidade
  • acessibilidadethe extent to which something is affordable
Spanish asequibilidad
  • asequibilidadthe extent to which something is affordable
Cite this entry
APA

affordability. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/affordability

MLA

“affordability.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/affordability. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “affordability,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/affordability.

Source: affordability on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.