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underspend

British  
/ ˌʌndəˈspɛnd /

verb

  1. to spend less than (one can afford or is allocated)

"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

noun

  1. the amount by which someone or something is underspent

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

He added that any government underspend in its end of year accounts should be returned to taxpayers as a dividend.

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026

Yet they don’t provide longevity protection, prompting many retirees to underspend to avoid depleting their assets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026

“It’s the right strategy. The greater risk is to underspend and to be left with a competitive disadvantage.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025

Both Defra and the Treasury declined to comment on any proposed cuts but the government has acknowledged there was a £358m underspend in the agricultural budget over the past three years.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2024

A Treasury spokesperson said funding arrangements "were applied in the usual way in relation to the Welsh government underspend."

From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2023

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