defray

American  

[dih-frey] / dɪˈfreɪ /

verb (used with object)

• defrays,
  present (3rd person singular)
• defrayed,
  past participle,  past
• defraying
  present participle

1. to bear or pay all or part of (the costs, expenses, etc.).

   The grant helped defray the expenses of the trip.

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defray British  

/ dɪˈfreɪ /

verb

1. (tr) to furnish or provide money for (costs, expenses, etc); pay

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• defrayal
  noun
• defrayer
  noun
• predefray
  verb (used with object)
• defrayable
  adjective
• undefrayed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• defraying
  present
• defrayed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• defray
  simple
• defrays
  simple
• have defrayed
  perfect
• has defrayed
  perfect
• am defraying
  progressive
• are defraying
  progressive
• is defraying
  progressive
• have been defraying
  perfect progressive
• has been defraying
  perfect progressive

Past

• defrayed
  simple
• had defrayed
  perfect
• was defraying
  progressive
• were defraying
  progressive
• had been defraying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will defray
  simple
• will have defrayed
  perfect
• will be defraying
  progressive
• will have been defraying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of defray

1535–45; < Middle French défrayer, Old French deffroier to pay costs, equivalent to de- dis- ¹ + frayer to bear the costs, derivative of frais, fres (plural) costs, probably < Latin frācta things broken ( see fracture), hence, expense incurred from breakage

Explanation

If your mother says she will defray the cost of your next move, say thank you. She means she will take on some of the expenses for you. Your school band might hold a bake sale fundraiser to defray the cost of new band uniforms. When they do this, the amount raised will be taken off the total cost of the uniforms so that each individual band member has to pay less. If you live in New York and are invited for a job interview in California, the company may defray the expenses of your plane ticket and hotel, especially if they really want to hire you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

defray defrays defrayed defraying

Even if the tariff money were specifically directed at debt service, it wouldn’t have done much to defray the roughly $1 trillion in interest the government will incur this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Those subsidies helped defray the cost of ACA coverage for millions of Americans.

From MarketWatch ● May 30, 2026

In return, Allen’s company receives most of the commercial spots in the programs, which his company can sell to advertisers to defray its costs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026

The price adjustments "defray" but do not fully cover the increase in costs, the spokesperson said.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

My stipend was a predetermined amount of money—based on world ranking—to defray the cost of training expenses.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

For example, a new tax credit defrays 30% of the costs of installing rooftop solar and battery storage.

From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2024

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he hadn’t studied Feyen’s amendment but said a surcharge on non-Brewer events would be reasonable if it defrays the overall state contribution.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 7, 2023

A hearing on how the U.S. government defrays the cost of doing federally funded research on college campuses might put most people to sleep.

From Science Magazine ● May 26, 2017

Not only do universities rely on federal grants for research but federal funding also defrays overhead expenses associated with that research, sometimes called indirect costs.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 16, 2013

So well aware of it is he, that he defrays the wedding expenses, and himself names the day.

From The Mystery of Orcival by Émile Gaboriau

Some defrayed living expenses large and small — private school tuition, vehicle batteries, tires.

From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2023

Medical bills have been defrayed through other crime-victims funds as well as by hospitals, fund officials said.

From New York Times ● Jun. 25, 2023

Three years ago, when the pandemic hit and the country shut down, the federal government responded with programs that defrayed basic living expenses such as housing and food.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 25, 2023

Of his annual $437,000 income, nearly $200,000 is defrayed by the university.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2022

Further, they stated that the money their society had collected for making coffins and burying the dead “has not defrayed the expense of wages which we had to pay to those whom we employed.”

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

Since March the system has generated about 1.2 MWh, defraying about 12% of our 12-month household electric use and 100% of our annual fuel costs, since both cars are electric.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025

Almost all lend a hand on an ongoing basis, whether contributing to savings accounts, setting up trusts or defraying the costs of college tuition, medical bills and other expenses.

From Salon ● May 11, 2025

The stock donation could be useful in defraying that bill.

From New York Times ● Feb. 15, 2022

Celgene pats itself on the back for having programs aimed at defraying costs to cancer patients.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2020

There was much talk on other subjects—their future life at Ufa, the husband's prospects in his profession, and the means of defraying their expenditure.

From A Russian Gentleman by S. T. (Sergei Timofeevich) Aksakov