Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
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expense

noun · verb US /ɪkˈspens/

amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)

How often you will meet it

Rank 2,857 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 5,771 times across 139,755 chapters — 0.003% of every word in the library.

What it means

noun

  1. amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures) also: disbursal, disbursement
  2. a detriment or sacrifice at the expense of
  3. money spent to perform work and usually reimbursed by an employer he kept a careful record of his expenses at the meeting

verb

  1. reduce the estimated value of something also: write off, write down For tax purposes you can write off the laser printer

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

expense in real books

Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.

  • It was, above all, a cause of expense.

    Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1

  • What right has he to be so precious unselfish at my expense?

    The Hill: A Romance of Friendship · Horace Annesley Vachell · Chapter 1

  • John Jacks laughed heartily at his own expense, but his wife seemed to think the jest unmannerly.

    The Crown of Life · George Gissing · Chapter 1

  • I am an author, that is to say, I have written a book, and have lately published it at my own expense.

    Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 · Various · Chapter 1

  • They did not join in the fun-making at the enemy's expense, though naturally they did not feel very sorry for young Ripley.

    The High School Boys' Canoe Club · H. Irving (Harrie Irving) Hancock · Chapter 1

Nearby in the frequency table

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