English Reference
Verb

expend

v.
C1 Advanced US /ɪkˈspɛnd/ UK /ɛkspˈɛnd/ ex·pend UK spelling expended, expends

v.to use up a resource or spend money. You use this when you want to say that something is being used up for a specific purpose.

v.to use up or consume a resource, such as money, energy, or materials. Often implies a deliberate or strategic allocation of a finite asset.


SIMPLE

The company decided to expend its remaining budget on new equipment.

CONTEXTUAL

The government must expend significant resources to maintain the aging infrastructure before the next decade begins.

COMPLEX

By choosing to expend their limited diplomatic capital on this high-stakes negotiation, the leaders risked alienating their traditional allies in the region.

Usage expend effort

In Emery’s eyes, it was McGinn expending unnecessary energy rather than seeking solutions.

The Guardian· 7 Sept 2026

They used these measurements to calculate how much energy the participants expended using the different walking styles.

Phys.org· 7 Sept 2026

Borrowed from Latin expendō (“I weigh; I pay out”). Doublet of spend.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin expendō
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated