In medical research, cross-sectional studies differ from case-control studies in that they aim to provide data on the entire population under study, whereas case-control studies typically include only individuals with a specific characteristic, with a sample, often a tiny minority, of the rest of the population.
(redirected from Variable Expense) Also found in: Dictionary, Wikipedia. A cost that is directly proportional to the volume of output produced. When production is zero, the variable cost is equal to zero. A cost to a person or business that varies over time according to a number of factors.
Popular Terms. A type of expense that is more or less constant over a low level shift in activity, but which changes incrementally when activity shifts substantially. An example of a step fixed cost that might be incurred by a manufacturing business would be the need to buy new production machinery to step production activity up another level.