expense - Master This Word

expense Word Meanings

• a cost or payment for goods or services
• an outlay of money
• something that requires expenditure of resources

expense Example Sentences

Example sentences are the start of understanding. Don't rush to memorize. First feel how the word works in a sentence.

• The meal was a big expense.
• I keep a record of my monthly expenses.
• We can reduce our expense by using less electricity.
• Her new phone was a huge expense.
• Planning helps control our expenses.

expense Word Etymology

Expense is derived from 'expendere' (Latin: ex- 'out' + pendere 'to weigh') meaning 'to weigh out' or 'to spend'. It traveled from Latin to Old French before entering Middle English. Imagine a scale tipping as you weigh coins, representing money being spent.

English Brain Route

I reach into my wallet and move a card across the counter, the price lighting up on the screen. The total sits there, and I set my jaw, counting coins in my head as a small weight slides out of my hand. I adjust my plan, deciding what to keep and what to set aside, letting the expense settle in my thoughts like a decision I must own. Walking away, I carry the feeling of choosing value, the money I spent becoming a map of my week and how I spend.

Real Context

Expense is a basic noun for money spent on goods or services, and it can refer to a single cost or to the act of spending itself. In business English you often encounter expense as part of phrases like expense report, expense policy, and reimbursable expense. People sometimes confuse expense with cost or price, and they may say expense of something in ways that sound formal or archaic. Typical collocations include expense account, travel expense, personal expense, and record an expense. The context matters: personal budgeting uses expense in everyday language, while corporate accounting uses it in policy and reimbursement discussions. Understanding when to use expense versus other synonyms helps you sound natural.

Usage Reminders

• Use expense for a single cost or the act of spending.
• Use expenses for multiple costs.
• Common phrases include expense report, expense policy, and reimbursable expense.
• Avoid saying expense of in everyday English; prefer expense for a given item or project.
• Differentiate expense from cost or price depending on the context (personal budgeting vs business accounting).

Common Misconceptions

• Expense means only the price of something, not the money you spend.
• Expense and cost are always interchangeable in any context.
• You cannot use expenses to talk about business spending.
• The phrase expense of is always appropriate in everyday English.
• Only big companies use terms like expense report.

Thinking Differences

Expense is a neutral accounting term used in both personal budgeting and business settings; learners often think it only means cost, or that it is interchangeable with cost in all cases. Focus on collocations like expense report and reimbursable expense to sound natural.

Learning Tips

• Learn common collocations like expense report, expense policy, and reimbursable expense.
• Use expenses for multiple costs and expense for a single cost.
• Know that expense is the act of spending as well as the amount spent.
• Differentiate expense from cost or price based on context.
• Practice with real-life contexts: travel, meals, and office purchases.
• Review receipts to solidify memory of the term.

5-Step Learning Method - Learn English in English

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