at all cost vs. at costs

[Torsten]

Hi, is there any difference between 'at all cost' and 'at all costs'?

Many thanks,
Torsten

TOEIC listening, photographs: An artist at work

[Rayan]

Hi Torsten,

what i know is the following :
"at all costs" which is classified as an adverb.
"at any cost" which is an adverb as well.

For the meaning, they have the same meaning; doing something regardless what it will cost us!

I know nothing about "at all cost".

waiting for comments and corrections if there is any.

[Torsten]

[Rayan]

Hi Torsten,
Yes, 'at all costs' is an idiom. Sorry for the confusion. However, i think, 'at any cost' is an adverb!
What do you think?

I am also waiting for your feedback about my first response to your question.

Thanks

[Geo777]

Hi,

I've found out that
at all costs = at any cost = at any price
If something must be done or avoided at all costs, it must be done or avoided whatever happens.
Security during the president's visit must be maintained at all costs.
He wanted her at any cost, even if it meant giving up everything he had
_________________
Slow but sure.

[Torsten]

This still doesn't answer my question.

TOEIC listening, photographs: A building site at dawn

[Rayan]

Hello again,

The simple answer for your question is : yes there is a difference.The plural 's' is the only orthographic difference.
I know nothing beyond this, including of course what i wrote above.

I'll wait for the help of others :)

[Haihao]

[Torsten]

Hi Haihao,

It seems to me that 'at all cost' has the same meaning as 'at all costs'. It looks like another version of the idiom. Here are some sentences that show how the phrase can be used:

It may be quicker for someone who hears well to reply, particularly when they know the answer and the question is unimportant, but this must be avoided at all cost.

His comments come in the team's 1991 Yearbook, where he condemns the ‘win at all cost’ attitude of the 90s, and the danger those attitudes bring if taken into the mountains.

Tycoon Alan Sugar — whose Amstrad computer firm was a success of the booming 80s — slammed the Tories for wanting to slash inflation at all cost.

TOEFL listening discussions: A conversation between a student and a university advisor

[Haihao]

Hi Torsten,

I would think too that the two virtually have the same meaning and are just different in version as you pointed out. I would also think the difference is only grammatical. "Costs" may more or less lay an emphasis on more than one kind of costs while "cost" on "costility" or the cost per se. Another interesting thing is, concerning the versions, many English dictionaries label it as "at all cost(s)" whereas many English idiom dictionaries only legitimate "at all costs".

Just my two cents.

All the best,

Haihao

[Expatcat]

They mean the same thing. I hear "at all costs" more frequently than "at all cost". Also used is "at any cost".

[Haihao]

However, that does not mean they are really free from difference. If I may or have to borrow the linguistic expression for word-economy's sake, "at all costs" [+plural, +Kind] vs. "at all cost" [-Plural, -Kind].

[Expatcat]

You can get as technical as you like. The meaning is the same.