# expense

/ɪkˈspɛns/ (US) · /ɛkspˈɛns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/expense
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. money spent

noun · CEFR B1

the money that you spend on something or the cost of an activity.

For teachers: the cost required for something; the act of spending or disbursing money.

- The expense of repairing the car was much higher than we expected.
- The total expense of the renovation project exceeded the initial budget by nearly twenty percent due to unforeseen structural issues.

### 2. work-related costs

noun · CEFR B2

money you spend while doing your job that your employer pays back to you.

For teachers: costs incurred in the course of performing professional duties, typically reimbursed by an employer.

- You can claim your travel expenses if you keep all your receipts.
- The sales team submitted their monthly expenses for approval, including client dinners and regional train fares.

Usage: Often used in the plural form 'expenses'.

### 3. at the cost of something else

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the loss or sacrifice of one thing to achieve another.

For teachers: the sacrifice, loss, or detriment of one thing in order to benefit or achieve another.

- He built a successful company, but it was at the expense of his health.
- The rapid industrial growth was achieved at the expense of the local ecosystem, leading to long-term environmental degradation.

### 4. to record as a business cost

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to list a cost as a business spending so you do not have to pay for it yourself.

For teachers: to write off an expenditure as a business expense or to charge a cost against an expense account.

- I will expense this flight to the marketing department.
- The consultant was instructed to expense all local transport costs directly to the client's account rather than paying out of pocket.

Usage: The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.

## Examples

- The biggest expense for most families is housing.
- The company covers every travel expense, including your hotel, meals, and train tickets.
- While the initial expense of installing solar panels is high, the long-term savings on energy bills usually justify the investment within a few years.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.