EXPENSE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does expense mean? 

• EXPENSE (noun)
  The noun EXPENSE has 3 senses:

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

2. a detriment or sacrifice

3. money spent to perform work and usually reimbursed by an employer

  Familiarity information: EXPENSE used as a noun is uncommon.

• EXPENSE (verb)
  The verb EXPENSE has 1 sense:

1. reduce the estimated value of something

  Familiarity information: EXPENSE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EXPENSE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Synonyms:

disbursal; disbursement; expense

Hypernyms ("expense" is a kind of...):

cost (the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "expense"):

business expense; trade expense (ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in a taxpayer's business or trade)

interest expense (interest paid on loans)

lobbying expense (expenses incurred in promoting or evaluating legislation)

medical expense (amount spent for diagnosis or treatment or prevention of medical problems)

non-cash expense (an expense (such as depreciation) that is not paid for in cash)

moving expense (the cost of moving your residence from one location to another)

budget items; operating cost; operating expense; overhead (the expense of maintaining property (e.g., paying property taxes and utilities and insurance); it does not include depreciation or the cost of financing or income taxes)

personal expense (the cost of personal or family living)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A detriment or sacrifice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

at the expense of

Hypernyms ("expense" is a kind of...):

detriment; hurt (a damage or loss)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Money spent to perform work and usually reimbursed by an employer

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Context example:

he kept a careful record of his expenses at the meeting

Hypernyms ("expense" is a kind of...):

expenditure; outgo; outlay; spending (money paid out; an amount spent)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "expense"):

incidental; incidental expense; minor expense ((frequently plural) an expense not budgeted or not specified)

travel expense ((frequently plural) expenses incurred by an employee in the performance of the job and usually reimbursed by the employer)

• EXPENSE (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Reduce the estimated value of something

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

expense; write down; write off

Context example:

For tax purposes you can write off the laser printer

Hypernyms (to "expense" is one way to...):

depreciate (lower the value of something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

Be ready to pay for your accommodations and other expenses for your personal days so that you can see friends or take in the sights where you are visiting.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

It had, in fact, occurred to her, that though taken to Portsmouth for nothing, it would be hardly possible for her to avoid paying her own expenses back again.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

To save expense, perhaps you can make up something here for myself.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It was a much safer place for a gentleman in his predicament: he might there be important at comparatively little expense.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

He even went out of his way to raise a laugh at his own expense in order to keep things cheerful.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

With some difficulty, and at the expense of a wetting to the waist, I climbed aboard.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Besides, it is a useless expense, for how could you possibly find this Hosmer Angel?

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He was to travel over the United States, with all expenses paid, and select whatever topics interested him.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Besides, I now considered myself as bound by the laws of hospitality, to a people who had treated me with so much expense and magnificence.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

I am inclined now to have a little amusement at his expense.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)