DIAMOND-WATER PARADOX: The perplexing observation that water, which is more useful than diamonds, has a lower price. If price is related to utility, how can this occur? This paradox was first proposed by classical economists in the 19th century and was subsequently used as a stepping stone for developing the notion of marginal utility and the role it plays in the demand price of a good. The paradox is magically cleared up with an understanding of marginal utility and total utility. People are willing to pay a higher price for goods with greater marginal utility. As such, water which is plentiful has enormous total utility, but a low price because of a low marginal utility. Diamonds, however, have less total utility because they are less plentiful, but a high price because of a high marginal utility.

     See also | price | demand price | utility | marginal utility | total utility | consumer surplus | law of diminishing marginal utility | marginal utility-price ratio | marginal utility and demand |

DIAMOND-WATER PARADOX, AmosWEB GLOSS*arama, http://www.AmosWEB.com, AmosWEB LLC, 2000-2025. [Accessed: July 18, 2025].

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The sacrifice of current benefits or rewards to pursue an activity with expectations of greater future benefits or rewards. Investment is the mechanism used to increase the economy's production capabilities and generate economic growth. Investment is typically used to mean the purchase of capital by business in anticipation of profit, which is termed investment expenditures.

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