expense
//ɪkˈspɛns//
Forms
- Plural
- expenses
- present (v1)
- expense
- past (v2)
- expensed
- past participle (v3)
- expensed
- present participle
- expensing
- 3rd person singular
- expenses
Definitions
1.A spending or consuming, often a disbursement of funds.
- We had a training weekend in New York, at the expense of our company.
- Buying the car was a big expense, but will be worth it in the long run.
- She went to great expense to ensure her children would get the best education.
2.The elimination or consumption of something, sometimes with the notion of loss or damage to the thing eliminated.
- Jones reached the final at the expense of Smith, who couldn't beat him.
1.To charge a cost against an expense account; to bill something to the company for which one works.
- It should be acceptable to expense a business lunch with a client.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #2240
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Word family
Etymology
From Middle English expense, from Anglo-Norman expense and Old French espense, from Late Latin expēnsa, from Latin expendō.
See expend.
Doublet of speso.