expense

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a detriment or sacrifice

   at the expense of

2. 2
   noun

   money spent to perform work and usually reimbursed by an employer

   I kept a careful record of my expenses at the meeting.

3. 3
   noun

   A spending or consuming, often a disbursement of funds.

   She went to great expense to ensure her children would get the best education.

4. 4
   noun

   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.

5. 5
   noun

   Loss.

   And moan the expense of many a vanished sight.

6. 6
   verb

   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.

7. 7
   noun

   amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)

8. 8
   verb

   reduce the estimated value of something

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.