capital expenditure

American  

noun

Accounting, Finance.

1. an addition to the value of fixed assets, as by the purchase of a new building.

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capital expenditure British  

noun

1. expenditure on acquisitions of or improvements to fixed assets

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capital expenditure Cultural  

1. The purchase of an asset by a firm.

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Etymology

Origin of capital expenditure

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Of the $110 trillion in global GDP, AI capital expenditure represents $1 trillion this year, with another $7 trillion to $8 trillion more capex added in the next five years, he noted.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

AI, is, of course, a major driver of this earnings trend as capital expenditure here is booming while in the rest of the economy is “lingering in mild recession.”

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

AI models despite having just 15% of U.S. hyperscalers’ capital expenditure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Arc bring some $1.5 billion in annual free cash flow, while the Canadian company’s circa $1.3 billion in capital expenditure can be fully absorbed into Shell’s spending plans, Wilson says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

For this reason it is quite impossible that all the expenditure on the mine should be charged into working costs, particularly some items that arise through "capital expenditure."

From Principles of Mining Valuation, Organization and Administration by Hoover, Herbert