expenditure

American  

[ik-spen-di-cher] / ɪkˈspɛn dɪ tʃər /

noun

1. the act of expending something, especially funds; disbursement; consumption.

2. something that is expended; expense.

   Unnecessary expenditures include those for luxury items.

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expenditure British  

/ ɪkˈspɛndɪtʃə /

noun

1. something expended, such as time or money

2. the act of expending

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Other Word Forms

• overexpenditure noun
• preexpenditure noun
• superexpenditure noun

Etymology

Origin of expenditure

1760–70; < Medieval Latin expendit ( us ) laid out, paid (variant of expēnsus, past participle of expendere; see expend) + -ure

Explanation

In a trip budget, you need to add up all your expenditures, such as hotel, car rental and food costs against the money you have brought to spend. An expenditure is money spent on something. Expenditure is often used when people are talking about budgets. It is the government's job to decide what to do with tax money collected, or in other words, to determine the expenditure of public funds. The word is more than a long way of saying expense. In business, an expenditure implies an investment, something that will bring value over time.

Example Sentences

Both of those numbers were overshadowed by the $2.5 million given by Sokoloff’s mother, Sheryl Sokoloff, to an independent expenditure committee supporting him.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

But like a world-class athlete accustomed to extreme rigor, he seemed unfazed by the expenditure of energy.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

But White, a mother-of-two, said her family was having to rethink household expenditure, including nursery costs, which were "going up as well".

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

That’s understandable in view of the huge capital expenditure from the so-called hyperscalers, estimated at around $750 billion this year, according to BofA analysts.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Through sheer, savage will, Minya poured even her life force into the colossal expenditure of magic necessary to hold on to her ghosts and keep her charges safe—and not just safe but loved.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• amount
• consumption
• cost
• disbursement
• expense
• figure
• investment
• outlay
• output
• price
• rate
• spending
• value