What does defray mean?
"Defray" is a formal English verb meaning to pay for or provide money toward a cost or expense, especially one borne by someone else. A company might defray an employee's relocation costs; a scholarship may defray tuition fees. The verb always takes the expense itself as its object — one defrays costs, charges, or expenditures — and it frequently suggests covering part, rather than all, of a bill. The word belongs largely to institutional and written registers: it appears in grant announcements, insurance documents, academic correspondence, and news reports about funding, and it would sound stiff in casual speech. It derives from the French défrayer, built on a root connected with settling what is owed, and shares distant kinship with the words "fray" and "affray." Its noun forms are "defrayal" and the rarer "defrayment." For writers seeking a precise, professional alternative to "pay for," "defray" remains a useful and respected choice, particularly when acknowledging that some portion of an expense has been met by a sponsor, donor, or organization.
verbTo pay or provide money for a cost, expense, or charge, typically one incurred by another person or organization.
- (of a person or organization) to pay or provide the money for a cost, expense, or charge, especially on behalf of someone else.
"The university agreed to defray the costs of the students' travel to the conference."
"A generous alumni donation will defray the cost of new laboratory equipment."
"The charity offered to defray her medical expenses during the long recovery."
"Defray" and "fray" come from the same root — the word for paying a bill is literally the word for entering a brawl's family tree.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of defray
"Defray" entered English in the mid-16th century, borrowed from the French défrayer, meaning to pay the costs of something. The French verb was formed from the prefix de- plus frai (a cost or expenditure), which traces back through Vulgar Latin to roots connected with breaking or spending. The same French source gave English the noun "fray" and its relative "affray," making these seemingly unrelated words etymological cousins. It has been used in its modern sense of covering expenses since its earliest appearances in English.
Related word forms
How defray is actually used
"Defray" is a formal, transitive verb used almost exclusively in financial contexts. It takes the cost or expense as its direct object — you defray an expense, not a person. It carries a slightly official or institutional tone, common in grant letters, corporate communications, and legal writing rather than everyday conversation. It often implies paying only part of a larger cost rather than covering it entirely.
Easily confused with defray
"Defer" means to postpone or delay something, while "defray" means to pay for costs or expenses.