expense

[ik-spens]

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.

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.

expense

/ 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

verb

1. (tr) to treat as an expense for book-keeping or tax purposes

Other Word Forms

• expenseless adjective
• preexpense noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of expense¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of expense¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at the expense of, at the sacrifice of; to the detriment of.

   quantity at the expense of quality.

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

Synonym Study

See price.

Example Sentences

It’s easy to traffic in cheap jokes at the expense of professions most of the audience doesn’t hold in high regard or think about much, if at all.

From Salon

She said uniforms should be worn, but added: "Parents should be protected from the expense that we have to pay out every year, especially when we've still got to get school shoes."

From BBC

Trips are another source of stress and even though schools help parents with payment plans, Ms Williams said sometimes there was not enough notice of upcoming expenses.

From BBC

We have long lived in a country where unfettered capitalism at the expense of so many of us thrives on violence meant specifically to silence people at the bottom.

From Salon

Forest finished seventh in the Premier League last season to qualify for the Conference League, but were promoted to the Europa League at Crystal Palace's expense after the Eagles breached multi-club ownership rules.

From BBC

Related Words

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