Word family noun expenditure expense expenses adjective expensive ≠ inexpensive verb expend adverb expensively ≠ inexpensively
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishexpenseex‧pense /ɪkˈspens/ ●●○ noun 1 [countable, uncountable]SPEND MONEY the amount of money that you spend on something He borrowed £150,000 and used the money for legal expenses. Conference rooms were equipped at great expense.2 → expenses3 → at the expense of somebody/something4 → at somebody’s expense5 → all expenses paidCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: the amount of money that you spend on somethingADJECTIVES/NOUN + expensethe extra/additional expenseIs it worth the extra expense to get a room with a sea view?an unnecessary expensePaying extra for leather seats seemed like an unnecessary expense.living expenses (=money that you spend on rent, food, and things such as electricity, gas etc)She receives £80 a week, from which she must pay for all her living expenses.operating expenses (=money that a company spends on running its business)We must reduce our operating expenses.legal/medical expensesWe had to get a loan to pay for my husband’s medical expenses.The tenant can incur considerable legal expenses.household expenses (=money spent looking after a house and the people in it)Unfortunately, household expenses don’t go away just because you’re in hospital or out of work.funeral expenses (=the cost of arranging a funeral)She had a small insurance policy to cover the funeral expenses.phrasesat great/huge/considerable/vast expense (=used when saying that something costs a lot of money)The tiles were imported at great expense from Italy.Recently, and at vast expense to the taxpayer, the bridge was rebuilt.at your own expense (=used when saying that you pay for something yourself)He had copies of the book printed at his own expense.at (the) public expense (=paid for by the public through taxes)The bridge was built at public expense.go to the expense of doing something (=do something that costs a lot of money)The council must now decide whether to go to the expense of appealing through the courts.spare no expense (in doing something) (=spend a lot of money to buy the best things)Her parents spared no expense in arranging the wedding.Everything has been provided tonight – no expense has been spared!verbsincur an expense formal (=have to pay for something)Potential buyers incur the expense of a survey and legal fees.COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: NOUN + expensestravel/travelling expensesThe company will pay the travelling expenses involved in getting to and from the meeting.entertainment/business expensesThe president receives an unspecified allowance for business and entertainment expenses.relocation/moving expensesSuccessful candidates will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes relocation expenses if needed.verbspay somebody’s expensesThey agreed to pay my travel expenses and initial accommodation costs.claim expenses (=officially ask your employer to pay you back money that you have spent while doing your job)If you have to stay overnight, you will be able to claim any expenses back.reimburse somebody’s expenses (=pay the money someone has spent for business purposes back to them)Your expenses will usually be reimbursed within one month of receiving the claim.Examples from the Corpus
expense• I was educated at his expense and until I repay his investment, it is illegal to employ me directly.• The fateful words do not establish a trust in favour of him, but instead a trust at his expense in favour of another person.• The problem is one of expense and effort in doing so, not the availability of the material.• Gast decided to stick around at his own expense and film as much as he could with the fighters.• Thus the legal aid scheme permits those eligible to take the risk of litigation at the possible expense of the Fund.• Or we could leave it up to the electricity generators to reduce the impact, at the expense of higher bills.• As a practical matter, a receipt showing the amount of the expense is an absolute prerequisite to substantiating a travel expense.From Longman Business Dictionaryexpenseex‧pense /ɪkˈspens/ noun1[countable, uncountable]ACCOUNTING an amount of money that a business or organization has to spend on somethingMost advertisers look upon advertising as an expense and not an investment, which is a mistake.The company’s cost-cutting program is expected to reduce expenses by $28 million next year.2expenses [plural]ACCOUNTING money that an employee spends while doing their job on things such as travel and food, and which their employer then pays back to themCome on, have another drink — it’s on expenses.He gets an annual salary of $1.5 million; in addition he gets reimbursed for travel and other expenses. 