plural expenditures
formal
1
a
: an amount of money that is spent on something
Your income should exceed your expenditures. [=you should earn more money than you spend]
an increase in military expenditures
an increase in military expenditure
b
: an amount of time, energy, effort, etc., that is used to do something
vast expenditures of time and effort
The energy expenditure was significant.
2
a
: the act of spending money
the expenditure of funds for the new school
b
: the act of using something (such as time or effort) for a particular purpose
greater expenditure of effort
The project will require an expenditure of effort on everyone's part.
Cite this Entry
“Expenditure.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/expenditure. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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