at all costs Definition

cost
verb cost (past tense, past participle in senses 1, 2 and 4), costing (present participle in all senses)

1. To be obtainable at a certain price.
tr & intr
2. To involve the loss or sacrifice of someone or something.
costed
3. To estimate or decide the cost of something.
tr & intr
4. colloq
To put someone to some expense.
Example: He would send his daughter to university, whatever it cost him

noun

1. What something costs; the price paid or required to be paid.

Thesaurus: price, expense, expenditure, outlay, payment, disbursement, figure, charge, amount, value, worth.
2. Loss or sacrifice.

Example: The war was won but the cost of human life was great
Thesaurus: loss, penalty, harm, damage, sacrifice, hurt, detriment, deprivation.
3. law.
The expenses of a case, generally paid by the unsuccessful party.
Form: costs

Idiom: at all costs

No matter what the risk or effort may be.

Idiom: cost someone dear

To prove costly to them.

Idiom: count the cost

To consider all the risks before taking action.

To realize the bad effects of something done.

Idiom: to one's cost

With some loss or disadvantage.

Etymology: 13c: from Latin constare to stand firm or cost.