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

Mitchum’s other monthly expenses include $200 for a gym membership and fitness classes, about $800 on eating out and cultural events, and about $450 combined for things like travel, personal grooming and charitable giving.

From The Wall Street Journal

As Americans struggle to afford necessities such as housing, transportation, insurance, childcare and education, many households — including low- and middle-income ones — are seeing another expense creep up in their monthly budgets: restaurant-delivery apps.

From MarketWatch

But excluding nonrecurring items, such as restructuring charges and litigation expenses, adjusted net income was $37 million, and earnings per share were 9 cents.

From MarketWatch

Proceeds from the IPO will be used to repay debts, purchase new equipment and fund other expenses, according to the filing.

From The Wall Street Journal

This weekend’s race will largely be decided by which contender is fit enough to keep his form in the final seconds—and fearless enough to pursue speed at the expense of safety.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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