Meaning & use

outweigh

verb·Academic

To be greater or more important than something else, especially when weighing benefits against costs.

See it in a sentence

The benefits of the new policy clearly outweigh its few minor drawbacks.

For most families, the convenience of living downtown outweighs the higher rent.

A note on using this word

Outweigh is almost always used figuratively to compare importance, value, or risk rather than literal physical weight.

Words with a similar meaning

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