outlay

American  

[out-ley, out-ley] / ˈaʊtˌleɪ, ˌaʊtˈleɪ /

noun

1. an expending or spending, as of money.

2. an amount expended; expenditure.

---

verb (used with object)

outlaid, outlaying

1. to expend, as money.

outlay British  

noun

1. an expenditure of money, effort, etc

---

verb

1. (tr) to spend (money)

Etymology

Origin of outlay

First recorded in 1545–55; out- + lay ¹

Example Sentences

That is after Newcastle's outlay of £242m last summer - their most in one transfer window, although they did recoup £125m from the sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

For a small outlay, Iran can secure an outsize return.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Emile Hokayem, senior fellow for Middle East security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the huge military outlay carried a political cost for Trump.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Despite its strong earnings and the big, highly-publicized capex outlay, this cohort of stocks has stalled and is falling behind the AI sectors in other regions.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

The amount spent for research was therefore a small fraction of 1 per cent of the outlay for the chemical program.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• disbursement
• expenditure
• expense
• investment
• price tag
• spending