expense

[ ik-spens ]

/ ɪkˈspɛns /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR expense ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

cost or charge: the expense of a good meal.

a cause or occasion of spending: A car can be a great expense.

the act of expending; expenditure.

expenses,

charges incurred during a business assignment or trip.
money paid as reimbursement for such charges: to receive a salary and expenses.

verb (used with object), ex·pensed, ex·pens·ing.

to charge or write off as an expense.

verb (used without object), ex·pensed, ex·pens·ing.

to be expensed.

Nearby words

Idioms

at the expense of, at the sacrifice of; to the detriment of: quantity at the expense of quality.

Origin of expense

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin expēnsa, noun use of feminine of expēnsus, past participle of expendere to expend

SYNONYMS FOR expense

1. outlay, expenditure. See price.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR expense ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsex·pense·less, adjectivepre·ex·pense, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for expense

As might be expected, this comes at the expense of narrative.
Bayonetta Is Nintendo’s Graphic, Ass-Kicking Barbie|Alec Kubas-Meyer|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the price of artistic freedom comes at the expense of professional protection.
Reconsidering Renée Zellweger: Forever a Hollywood-Pretty Character Actress|Teo Bugbee|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unfortunately, that gamble was at the expense of Miss America's supposed mission.
The Real Housewives of Miss America|Kate Shindle|September 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The FDNY spot on the JTTF was among the items deemed no longer worth the expense in a time of budget cuts.
The Flying New York Fireman Who Shined on 9/11|Michael Daly|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

One of the reasons for this is because of its expense — only the very wealthy could afford, or were allowed, to wear red.
Scarlet Is the New Black|Raquel Laneri|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The books will show what Eileen has drawn monthly for her expense budget.
Her Father's Daughter|Gene Stratton-Porter
At an expense for material, I should think, of $7,400 in all to cover the enterprise.
The Crime of the Century|Henry M. Hunt
Loughshane, according to Barrington Erle, was so small a place, that the expense would be very little.
Phineas Finn|Anthony Trollope
Lincoln was especially fond of a joke at the expense of some high military or civil dignitary.
The Every-day Life of Abraham Lincoln|Francis Fisher Browne
In this estimate the expense of letters by the post, and of journeys made by the parties, is not and cannot be included.
Imaginary Conversations and Poems|Walter Savage Landor

British Dictionary definitions for expense

expense

/ (ɪkˈspɛns) /

noun

a particular payment of money; expenditure

money needed for individual purchases; cost; charge

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

something requiring money for its purchase or upkeepthe car was more of an expense than he had expected

at the expense of to the detriment ofhe succeeded at the expense of his health

verb

(tr) US and Canadian to treat as an expense for book-keeping or tax purposes

Word Origin for expense

C14: from Late Latin expēnsa, from Latin expēnsus weighed out; see expend

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for expense

expense

late 14c., from Anglo-French expense, Old French espense "money provided for expenses," from Late Latin expensa "disbursement, outlay, expense," noun use of neuter plural past participle of Latin expendere "to weigh out money, to pay down" (see expend).

Latin spensa also yielded Medieval Latin spe(n)sa, whose sense specialized to "outlay for provisions," then "provisions, food," which was borrowed into Old High German as spisa and is the root of German Speise "food," now mostly meaning prepared food, and speisen "to eat."

expense

1909, from expense (n.). Related: Expensed; expensing.

Idioms and Phrases with expense

expense

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

expense

noun

verb (used with object), ex·pensed, ex·pens·ing.

verb (used without object), ex·pensed, ex·pens·ing.

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Origin of expense

Examples from the Web for expense

expense

noun

verb

Word Origin for expense

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