What does expense mean?
An expense is the cost of something — the money required to buy goods, carry out work, or keep something running. It can refer to a single outlay, such as the expense of repairing a roof, or to spending viewed collectively, as when someone travels "without regard to expense." The plural form "expenses" has a distinct practical meaning: money paid back to employees for business or travel costs they have incurred themselves. The phrase "at the expense of" is especially useful, though it often carries a note of warning, suggesting one advantage was gained only by sacrificing another. Derived ultimately from Latin roots meaning to weigh or pay out, "expense" is a neutral, versatile noun used everywhere from household budgeting to corporate finance, making it essential vocabulary for discussing anything that costs money.
A cost or amount of money spent on buying, doing, or maintaining something.
"Hiring extra staff would be a major expense for the company."
Often used in the phrase "at the expense of" to indicate sacrifice or trade-off.
(In plural) Money reimbursed to someone, typically an employee, for costs incurred while performing their duties.
"All meals during the conference trip count as legitimate business expenses."
The plural "expenses" most commonly refers to reimbursable costs incurred on behalf of an employer, as in submitting or claiming expenses.
"She filed her expenses with the accounts department every Friday."
Expense traces back to the Latin pendere — to weigh out — because Roman money literally had to be weighed out coin by coin before it could be spent.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of expense
"Expense" entered English in the late Middle Ages, borrowed from Old French and ultimately from Latin "expensum," meaning "a thing paid out." This comes from the verb "expendere," formed from "ex-" (out) and "pendere" (to weigh), reflecting the ancient practice of paying in weighed metal. The same Latin root gives English "spend," "pension," and "suspend," all involving ideas of hanging, weighing, or paying.
Related word forms
How expense is actually used
"At the expense of" often carries a negative connotation, implying that one benefit came at the cost of another. In plural form, "expenses" commonly refers to reimbursable business or travel costs. The word is neutral in register, fitting both everyday and formal contexts.
Easily confused with expense
"Expenditure" is the more formal term for total amounts spent over a period, while "expense" usually refers to a specific cost or individual item of spending.
"Expanse" means a wide, open stretch of space (as in "an expanse of desert") and has nothing to do with money, despite its similar spelling.