expense English · revision 6493

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1382|origins=la pendo}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɪkˈspɛns/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English expense, [[bor|xno|expense]], an alteration of Old French [[m|fro|espense|t=money provided for expenses]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998)^(SOED 2002) from [[la-lat|expēnsa|t=outlay]], short for expensa pecunia, money spent,^(NODE 1998)^(Etymonline) the feminine past participle of [[m|la|expendo|alt=expendere|t=to weigh out, pay out]] (see [[expend]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) from [[m|la|ex-|t=out]] and [[m|la|pendo|alt=pendere|t=to weigh, pay]].^(Etymonline) Word Origins notes that it shares a root with [[spend]].^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Money provided for expenses: before 1382, in the Wycliffe Bible.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) Etymonline also has the act of spending and loss or damage from the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A monetary charge or cost is from before 1400, and spending money from 1393.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) The burden of expenditure, the cost or sacrifice involved, as ''at great expense'', is from 1632.^(OED 1989) ''At someone's expense'', to their loss or ridicule, follows.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023) The ''expense account'' is from 1872, and the verb, to charge an expenditure against income, from 1909.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) [[expensive|alt=Expensive]] first meant given to lavish spending (1628).^(Barnhart 1988) Etymonline notes that Latin spensa, outlay, became German Speise, food.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1382 – money for expenses.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1393 – spending.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1400 – a cost.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1632 – a burden of cost.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1872 – expense account.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1909 – the verb.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The cost of something; money spent.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Something on which money must be spent: ''a car is a big expense''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''expenses'': money spent in doing a job, often paid back by an employer.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Loss or detriment: ''at the expense of his health''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To charge as an expense.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[expenseless]]

+ * [[all-expense]]

+ * [[expense account]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[expend]]

+ * [[expensive]]

+ * [[spend]]

+ * [[expenditure]]

+ * [[pound]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}