Expense

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1. Definition + Rich Everyday Explanation

Expense (noun / verb) = the cost or amount of money required for something; money spent on something; financial burden or outlay; or as a verb, to record or charge a cost to a business or organization for reimbursement.

“Expense” fundamentally refers to money going out — costs you incur, payments you must make, or financial burdens you carry. The word appears constantly in discussions about budgets, finances, and spending.

As a noun, an expense is a specific cost or payment. Rent is a monthly expense. Medical expenses can be devastating. Travel expenses include transportation, accommodation, and meals. The word often appears in plural — “expenses” — referring to multiple costs or ongoing financial obligations. “Living expenses” means all the costs required to maintain daily life. “Business expenses” are costs incurred while conducting work.

The phrase “at someone’s expense” has two meanings. Literally, it means paid for by someone: “Dinner is at my expense” means I’m paying. Metaphorically, it means something benefits one person while harming or embarrassing another: “He made jokes at her expense” means his humor targeted and humiliated her.

“At the expense of” means sacrificing or harming one thing to gain another: “He achieved success at the expense of his health” means his accomplishments came with negative consequences for his well-being. This phrase emphasizes trade-offs and costs beyond money.

As a verb (primarily used in business contexts), “to expense” means to record costs for reimbursement or accounting purposes. “I’ll expense this meal” means I’ll claim it as a business cost. “Expense it to the company” means charge it to the organization. This usage is professional jargon.

The word carries connotations of burden, obligation, and financial pressure — expenses are things you must pay, whether you want to or not.

Examples from the street:

• “Medical expenses bankrupted the family despite having insurance” → healthcare costs financially destroyed the household even with coverage
• “The company covers all travel expenses for business trips” → the organization pays all journey-related costs for work-related travel
• “He built his reputation at the expense of his colleagues’ careers” → he achieved recognition by damaging his coworkers’ professional prospects

2. Most Common Patterns

• living/medical/travel/business expenses → costs associated with specific categories
• cover/pay/meet expenses → provide money for costs
• at someone’s expense → paid for by someone; or causing harm/embarrassment to someone
• at the expense of → sacrificing or harming something to achieve something else
• cut/reduce expenses → decrease spending
• incur expenses → accumulate or acquire costs
• expense something → record a cost for business reimbursement (verb)
• spare no expense → spend whatever is necessary without limiting costs

3. Idioms

• at the expense of → sacrificing or harming one thing to achieve another; causing negative consequences to something

  Example: “The company increased profits at the expense of employee well-being.”

• spare no expense → spend as much money as necessary; not limit spending to achieve the best result

  Example: “They spared no expense on their daughter’s wedding — it was lavish.”

4. Example Sentences

1. Rent is our largest monthly expense, taking half our income

   → Housing costs constitute our biggest regular payment, consuming fifty percent of earnings.

2. The university covers all expenses for visiting professors, including housing and travel

   → The institution pays all costs for guest academics, encompassing accommodation and transportation.

3. He achieved rapid promotion at the expense of his family relationships

   → He gained quick advancement by sacrificing his personal connections with relatives.

4. They achieved rapid growth at the expense of quality
   → (They focused on speed and ignored good standards.)
5. She’s always helping others at the expense of her own happiness.→ (She sacrifices herself to make others happy.)
6. Industrial progress often comes at the expense of the environment. → (Nature pays the price for development.)
7. The city expanded at the expense of green areas.
   → (Parks and forests were lost.)
8. He made people laugh at the expense of his friend’s feelings.
   → (The joke hurt his friend.)
9. We need to cut our expenses significantly to save for a house deposit

   → We must reduce our spending substantially to accumulate money for property down payment.

10. Medical expenses in the United States can be financially devastating

    → Healthcare costs in America can cause severe economic hardship.

11. Please expense the client dinner to the marketing budget

    → Please record the business meal cost against the promotional spending allocation.

12. The couple spared no expense on their anniversary celebration

    → The partners spent generously without limitation on their relationship milestone event.

13. Living expenses in major cities continue to rise dramatically

    → Daily survival costs in urban centers keep increasing substantially.

14. She made sarcastic comments at his expense during the meeting

    → She delivered mocking remarks that embarrassed and targeted him throughout the discussion.

15. Business travelers can expense reasonable meal costs

    → Work-related journeyers can claim reimbursement for appropriate dining expenditures.

5. Personal Examples

1. Teachers often incur expenses buying classroom supplies that schools don’t provide

   → Instructors frequently accumulate costs purchasing educational materials that institutions don’t supply.

2. Some students pursue academic excellence at the expense of their mental health

   → Certain learners seek scholarly achievement by sacrificing their psychological well-being.

6. Register: Neutral to Formal

✔ Native usage tips

• “Expense” is neutral and works in both casual and formal contexts
• “Expenses” (plural) is more common than the singular when discussing overall costs
• “At the expense of” is a sophisticated phrase emphasizing sacrifice or trade-offs
• “At someone’s expense” has two distinct meanings — literal (payment) and figurative (harm/mockery)
• “Expense” as a verb is business jargon — “I’ll expense it” is professional language
• “Spare no expense” suggests luxury, generosity, or determination to achieve quality
• “Cover expenses” and “meet expenses” mean to pay or afford costs
• “Living expenses,” “medical expenses,” and “travel expenses” are standard fixed phrases

✔ Similar expressions / words

• Cost → the price or amount required; similar but slightly more neutral than expense
• Expenditure → money spent; more formal than expense, common in financial reports
• Outlay → money spent on something, especially initially; more formal than expense