expense

noun ex·pense \ ik-ˈspen(t)s \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of expense

1 archaic : the act or an instance of expending : expenditure

2 a : something expended to secure a benefit or bring about a result

b : financial burden or outlay : cost

built the monument at their own expense

c : an item of business outlay chargeable against revenue for a specific period

3 : a cause or occasion of expenditure

an estate is a great expense

4 : a loss, detriment, or embarrassment that results from some action or gain : sacrifice

everyone had a good laugh at my expense

—usually used in the phrase at the expense of

develop a boy's physique at the expense of his intelligence
—Bertrand Russell

See expense defined for English-language learners

See expense defined for kids

Examples of expense in a Sentence

I don't think a first-class ticket is worth the added expense.
The annual fee is simply an expense of doing business.
A new car is a major expense.

Recent Examples of expense from the Web

Cryan took over in 2015 after the previous co-CEOs stepped down as the bank struggled with uneven profits that were repeatedly eroded by funds set aside for litigation expenses.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Four things to know from Business," 9 Apr. 2018
Cryan took over in July 2015 after previous co-CEOs Anshu Jain and Juergen Fitschen stepped down as the bank struggled with uneven profits that were repeatedly eroded by funds set aside for litigation expenses.

— Fox News, "The Latest: Deutsche Bank CEO Cryan out, Sewing in," 8 Apr. 2018
His family has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for medical expenses.

— caitlin wolper, Teen Vogue, "Anthony Borges, Marjory Stoneman Douglas Shooting Survivor, Is Finally Going Home," 5 Apr. 2018
Using campaign funds for personal expenses is prohibited under federal election law.

— NBC News, "Ethics office: Congressman may have misused $100,000 in campaign funds," 4 Apr. 2018
Recipients will be reimbursed up to $500 for expenses such as publicity, cleanup supplies such as trash bags and work gloves and food and refreshments for volunteers.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Putnam Edition," 3 Apr. 2018
Paying for medical expenses simply wasn't in the budget.

— siobhan o'grady, latimes.com, "Every day, 170 young people are infected with HIV in West and Central Africa, and many can't afford treatment," 2 Apr. 2018
About $340,000 was wrongly used to pay for business expenses at the Alaska office, the SEC said.

— alex demarban, Anchorage Daily News, "McKinley Mortgage to pay $3 million in fines after ‘bilking’ retail investors," 27 Mar. 2018
The killing rocked Williams' family, who held a vigil and set up a fundraiser on Facebook that raised more than $2,000 for funeral expenses.

— aaron randle, kansascity, "Suspect in shooting death of father to 11 turns herself in to police | The Kansas City Star," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'expense.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of expense

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin expensa, from Latin, feminine of expensus, past participle of expendere

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

expense Synonyms

Synonyms

charge, cost, disbursement, expenditure, outgo, outlay;

Related Words

overhead;

outflow;

pocket money, spending money;

price, rate, tab, tariff, toll;

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

expense

verb

Definition of expense

expensed; expensing

transitive verb

1 : to charge with expenses

2 a : to charge to an expense account

b : to write off as an expense

Recent Examples of expense from the Web

Federal travel rules allow first- and business-class flights to be expensed to the EPA on long, international trips only.

— emily atkin, The New Republic, "The Conservative Coddling Of Scott Pruitt," 29 Mar. 2018
That number assumes that most of the personal income-tax reductions expire in eight years, and a break for expensing capital equipment starts phasing out in 2023.

— shawn tully, Fortune, "How Debt Could Blow Up the Trump Economy," 15 Mar. 2018
For the buyers, partial-interest sales make the equity required for the deals more manageable, and reduce taxes and other transaction expenses that typically come with the purchase of entire buildings.

— keiko morris, WSJ, "Why Sell a Billion-Dollar Building When You Can Unload a Piece of It Instead?," 11 Mar. 2018
The board also reviewed a Measure GG facilities expense report, and heard a bond implementation update.

— laura groch, sandiegouniontribune.com, "How they voted, March 11," 11 Mar. 2018
But in the spring of 2016, Mr. Oreskes expensed several dinners with women, including one with a female NPR employee, the report found.

— daniel victor, New York Times, "NPR Executive Was Warned Repeatedly About Sexual Harassment, Report Finds," 21 Feb. 2018
And other provisions, including time limits on expensing exploration, could hem in drillers with long-term projects, including Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. That may also give an edge to domestic shale production.

— bloomberg, Houston Chronicle, "Is tax overhaul really a good deal for Big Oil?," 8 Jan. 2018
And other provisions, including time limits on expensing exploration, could hem in drillers with long-term projects, including ExxonMobil and Chevron.

— bloomberg news, NOLA.com, "Big Oil doesn't necessarily win big in Trump tax plan," 8 Jan. 2018
Currently, businesses are allowed to expense immediately up to $2 million in qualifying income.

— edward lazear, WSJ, "How to Make a Good Tax-Reform Plan Even Better," 16 Oct. 2017

First Known Use of expense

circa 1909

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

EXPENSE Defined for English Language Learners

expense

noun

Definition of expense for English Language Learners

: the amount of money that is needed to pay for or buy something
: an amount of money that must be spent especially regularly to pay for something
: something on which money is spent

EXPENSE Defined for Kids

expense

noun ex·pense \ ik-ˈspens \

Definition of expense for Students

1 : something spent or required to be spent : cost

2 : a cause for spending

A car can be a great expense.

Law Dictionary

expense

noun ex·pense

legal Definition of expense

: financial burden or outlay; specifically : an item of business outlay chargeable against revenue for a specific period

— business expense

: an expense made in furtherance of one's business especially as part of the cost of operating a business in the taxable year in which the expense is incurred — compare capital expense and personal expense in this entry

Note: Business expenses are generally tax deductible in the year the expense is incurred.

— capital expense

: an expense made in a business that will provide a long-term benefit : capital expenditure

Note: Capital expenses are not tax deductible as business expenses but may be used for depreciation or amortization.

— moving expense

: an expense incurred in changing one's residence that is tax deductible if incurred for business reasons (as when one's job requires relocation)

— ordinary and necessary expense

: an expense that is normal or customary and helpful and appropriate for the operation of a particular business or trade and that is made during the taxable year — called also ordinary and necessary business expense

Note: Ordinary and necessary expenses are tax deductible.

— personal expense

: an expense incurred in the course of one's personal affairs as distinguished from the course of one's employment or the operation of a business — compare business expense in this entry

Note: Personal expenses are usually not tax deductible.