The Factology Daily

The surprising truth about Sunk cost.

In economics and business decision-making, a sunk cost is a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered.

Jul 21, 2026
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In economics and business decision-making, a sunk cost is a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered.

In economics and business decision-making, a sunk cost is a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered. Sunk costs are contrasted with prospective costs, which are future costs that may be avoided if action is taken. In other words, a sunk cost is a sum paid in the past that should no longer be relevant to decisions about the future. Even though economists argue that sunk costs are no longer relevant to future rational decision-making, people in everyday life often take previous expenditures in situations, such as repairing a car or house, into their future decisions regarding those properties.

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost
  2. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q958242
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