kostsamt

Kostsamt is a Norwegian adjective meaning costly or expensive, with a nuance that it denotes a substantial burden of resource use rather than price alone. It is commonly used for items or decisions that require significant financial investment, time, effort, or risk. In practice, it can describe a kostsamt prosjekt (a costly project) or et kostsamt vedtak (a costly decision), and it often appears in formal or written Norwegian, such as business, policy, and academic contexts.

Etymology and scope: The term is of Norwegian origin, formed from the noun kost (cost) and a productive adjective-forming pattern that conveys a property. It is related to other Scandinavian counterparts that express costliness, though kostsamt is distinguished by its emphasis on overall burden rather than just the price tag. While synonyms like dyrt and kostbart convey high price, kostsamt carries a broader sense of resource expenditure and opportunity costs.

Usage notes: Kostsamt tends to signal a comprehensive cost consideration, including monetary, time, and human resource factors, as well as potential risks. This makes it especially common in discussions of budgeting, project evaluation, and strategic decision-making. In everyday speech, it is less frequent and often replaced by dyrt or kostbart, depending on the exact emphasis desired.

See also: dyrt; kostbart; kostnad; ressurskrevende; kostnader.