expenditure

noun

ex·​pen·​di·​ture ik-ˈspen-di-chər 

-də-ˌchu̇r,

-də-ˌt(y)u̇r

1

: the act or process of expending

an expenditure of energy

2

: something expended : disbursement, expense

Your income should exceed your expenditures.

Synonyms of expenditure

• expense
• cost

Examples of expenditure in a Sentence

an increase in military expenditures

an increase in military expenditure

vast expenditures of time and effort

The energy expenditure was significant.

the expenditure of funds for the new school

The project will require an expenditure of effort on everyone's part.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some CEOs are warning of a market correction, others of an inevitable mismatch between revenues and the massive capital expenditure needed to power AI. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025

Bonds ask for a specific dollar amount and can be used for capital expenditures such as new schools and facility buildings, technology infrastructure, safety improvements, school buses and equipment. —Stephanie Innes, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025

Another graph showed similar patterns in tech capital expenditure growth between today and the dotcom era. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025

As described in court documents, the Mavericks and Stars need to both sign off on substantial investments in the arena and agree on other expenditures. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from Medieval Latin expenditus, variant past participle of Latin expendere "to weigh, pay out, expend" + -ure

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

expenditure

noun

ex·​pen·​di·​ture ik-ˈspen-di-chər 

-də-ˌchu̇(ə)r

1

: the act of spending (as money, time, or energy)

2

: something that is spent

Legal Definition

expenditure

noun

ex·​pen·​di·​ture ik-ˈspen-di-chər, -ˌchu̇r 

1

: the act or process of paying out

2

: something paid out see also capital expenditure