can't afford to do something
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
lack the financial means to do something
Literally: be unable to pay for something
Register: neutral
Examples
She can't afford to travel abroad this year.
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Everyday learner phrase (CEFR B1); level cross-referenced from published learner lists. Definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-08-01; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “can't afford to do something” mean?
lack the financial means to do something Literally: be unable to pay for something
Is “can't afford to do something” formal or informal?
can't afford to do something is generally neutral.