expense

American  

[ik-spens] / ɪkˈspɛns /

noun

1. cost or charge.

   the expense of a good meal.

   Synonyms:

   expenditure, outlay

2. a cause or occasion of spending.

   A car can be a great expense.

3. the act of expending; expenditure.

4. expenses,

   1. charges incurred during a business assignment or trip.

   2. money paid as reimbursement for such charges.

      to receive a salary and expenses.

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verb (used with object)

expensed, expensing

1. to charge or write off as an expense.

verb (used without object)

expensed, expensing

1. to be expensed.

idioms

1. at the expense of, at the sacrifice of; to the detriment of.

   quantity at the expense of quality.

expense British  

/ ɪkˈspɛns /

noun

1. a particular payment of money; expenditure

2. money needed for individual purchases; cost; charge

3. (plural) incidental money spent in the performance of a job, commission, etc, usually reimbursed by an employer or allowable against tax

4. something requiring money for its purchase or upkeep

   the car was more of an expense than he had expected

5. to the detriment of

   he succeeded at the expense of his health

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verb

1. (tr) to treat as an expense for book-keeping or tax purposes

expense More Idioms  

1. see at the expense of; go to the trouble (expense); money (expense) is no object.

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Related Words

See price.

Other Word Forms

• expenseless adjective
• preexpense noun

Etymology

Origin of expense

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin expēnsa, noun use of feminine of expēnsus, past participle of expendere “to weigh out, pay”; expend

Example Sentences

MLB has been aggressive in recent years with implementing rule changes for the sake of entertainment, even at the expense of innovation.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It is a shame that USC has decided to elevate one candidate at the expense of others,” Swalwell wrote on X on Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times

Rising energy prices and potential inflation-driven labor costs could increase production expenses for precious metal mining companies.

From Barron's

The strategy likely only makes sense after setting aside funds in other accounts for nearer-term expenses, such as college, and funding the parents’ retirement.

From The Wall Street Journal

All ETF returns in this article include reinvested dividends and are net of the funds’ expenses.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• amount
• budget
• charge
• consumption
• debt
• expenditure
• insurance
• investment
• liability
• loan
• loss
• mortgage
• obligation
• outlay
• payroll
• price
• price tag
• rate
• risk
• spending