defray

American  

[dih-fray] / 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

The move is expected to help the Japanese automaker defray its U.S. tariff costs in its largest market and keep its U.S. dealers better-stocked with vehicles, according to analysts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

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

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

Proponents say they help defray the costs of delivering justice.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025

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

Adjoining to the Court, is the Palace or Hotel for lodging the Ambassadors during the three Days that the State defrays their Expence.

From The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume II Being the Observations He Made in His Late Travels From Prussia thro' Germany, Italy, France, Flanders, Holland, England, &C. in Letters to His Friend. Discovering Not Only the Present State of the Chief Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts. by Karl Ludwig von P?llnitz

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

From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2023

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

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2022

For most companies, the bill is relatively small, and it can be defrayed by giving less money to shareholders, or by raising prices.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 31, 2019

One major question for Temple and other safety-net hospitals is whether states would restore supplemental funds or programs that defrayed the cost of caring for the uninsured before the health law took effect.

From New York Times ● Dec. 28, 2016

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

Installation costs can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, which is why most federal and state policies promoting heat pump adoption have focused on defraying them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2026

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

He then announced his intention of defraying the cost of the frame, which came to 5000 livres.

From Queens of the French Stage by H. Noel Williams