capital-intensive

adjective

Needing a relatively large expenditure on capital, especially when compared to that spent on labour.

Opposite
labor-intensivework-intensive
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Meanings

adjectivecapital-intensive (comparative more capital-intensive, superlative most capital-intensive)

comparative more capital-intensive · superlative most capital-intensive · alternative capital intensive

  1. Needing a relatively large expenditure on capital, especially when compared to that spent on labour.

    Petroleum is the most productive and capital-intensive industry while apparel is the least productive and least capital intensive.

    1999, Karen Parker, Albert Fishlow, Growing Apart: The Causes and Consequences of Global Wage Inequality

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
labor-intensivework-intensive

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 資本密集 /资本密集
  • 資本密集 /资本密集 (zīběn mìjí)needing large capital expenditure
Danish kapitalkrævende
  • kapitalkrævendeneeding large capital expenditure
Estonian kapitalimahukas
  • kapitalimahukasneeding large capital expenditure
Finnish pääomavaltainen, pääomaintensiivinen
  • pääomavaltainenneeding large capital expenditure
  • pääomaintensiivinenneeding large capital expenditure
German kapitalintensiv
  • kapitalintensivneeding large capital expenditure
Greek εντάσεως κεφαλαίου, έντασης κεφαλαίου
  • εντάσεως κεφαλαίου (entáseos kefalaíou)needing large capital expenditure
  • έντασης κεφαλαίου (éntasis kefalaíou)needing large capital expenditure
Hungarian tőkeigényes
  • tőkeigényesneeding large capital expenditure
Polish kapitałochłonny
  • kapitałochłonnyneeding large capital expenditure
Portuguese de capital intensivo
  • de capital intensivoneeding large capital expenditure
Russian капиталоёмкий
  • капиталоёмкий (kapitalojómkij)needing large capital expenditure
Swedish kapitalkrävande
  • kapitalkrävandeneeding large capital expenditure
Ukrainian капіталомістки́й, капіталоє́мний
  • капіталомістки́й (kapitalomistkýj)needing large capital expenditure
  • капіталоє́мний (kapitalojémnyj)needing large capital expenditure
Cite this entry
APA

capital-intensive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/capital-intensive

MLA

“capital-intensive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/capital-intensive. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “capital-intensive,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/capital-intensive.

Source: capital-intensive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.