I. ikˈspen(t)s, ek- sometimes ˈekˌs- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French expense, from Late Latin expensa, from Latin, feminine of expensus, past participle of expendere
1.
a.
(1) archaic : the act or practice of expending money : spending
this exuberance of money displayed itself in wantonness of expense — Samuel Johnson
(2) obsolete : extravagance
all of them … dread a woman of expense — James Fordyce
b.
(1) archaic : the act or process of using up : consumption
the sun is not wasted by expense of light — Benjamin Franklin
(2) obsolete : loss
and moan the expense of many a vanished sight — Shakespeare
2.
a. : something that is expended in order to secure a benefit or bring about a result
those who have no experience of teaching are incapable of imagining the expense of spirit entailed by any really living instruction — Bertrand Russell
b. : the financial burden involved typically in a course of action or manner of living : cost
at his own expense he built a fort and persuaded others to join him there — American Guide Series: Maine
was obliged to spend most of each year earning his tuition and living expenses — R.F.Seybolt
c.
(1) : the charges that are incurred by an employee in connection with the performance of his duties and that typically include transportation, meals, and lodging while traveling — usually used in plural
(2) : money given to an employee as reimbursement for such charges — usually used in plural
d. : an item of outlay incurred in the operation of a business enterprise allocable to and chargeable against revenue for a specific period
3. : a cause or occasion of expenditure
a country estate is a great expense
4. : loss, injury, or detriment as the necessary price of something gained or as the inevitable result or penalty of an action : sacrifice — usually used in the phrase at the expense of
the spread of the city civilization at the expense of the villages — Benjamin Farrington
develop a boy's physique at the expense of his intelligence — Bertrand Russell
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to charge with expenses
2. : to charge to an expense account : write off as an expense expenditure