Expense | Mean of expense in English Dictionary

/ɪkˈspɛns/

• Noun
• the amount of money that is needed to pay for or buy something
1. I'd like to save the time and expense [=cost] of redoing the whole thing.
2. I don't think a first-class ticket is worth the added/extra expense.
3. These items were imported at great/considerable/enormous expense. [=it cost a lot to import them]
4. We were able to fix the problem at very little expense. [=for very little money]
5. The repairs were made at no expense to us. [=without costing us anything]
6. When they go on vacation, they spare no expense.
7. They spared no expense in building the house.
• an amount of money that must be spent especially regularly to pay for something
1. The annual fee is simply an expense of doing business.
2. Their expenses [=expenditures] were getting far ahead of their income.
3. We need to find a way to control expenses.
4. cutting back on expenses
5. legal/medical/household expenses [=costs]
6. I'm concerned about the project's hidden expenses.
7. You'll have to pay your own travel/traveling expenses.
8. an all-expenses paid trip [=a journey for which all costs are already paid]
• something on which money is spent
1. A new car is a major expense.
2. My new computer was a business expense. [=something I had to buy in order to do business]

• paid for by someone
1. a fancy dinner at my parents' expense
2. a stadium built at the taxpayers' expense = a stadium built at taxpayer expense [=with money from taxes]
3. The tour is free, but all meals are at your own expense. [=you must pay for your meals]
• in a way that harms (something or someone)
1. Malls flourished at the expense of small stores downtown.
2. She acquired power at the expense of friendships.
3. He argues that the tax cut will benefit the rich at the expense of the poor.
• to spend money on something
1. Why go to the expense of installing something you'll never use?
2. She went to great expense to have this party.