expense
This word carries a strong association with accounting, budgeting, and financial loss. It describes the outflow of resources, often evoking a sense of necessity or burden. While cost is a neutral measure of value, an expense is an actual expenditure that has occurred or must occur to maintain an operation.
In professional settings, it is the standard term for reimbursable costs incurred during work travel. In personal contexts, it often suggests a trade-off, where one thing is sacrificed or spent to achieve a particular result, as seen in the phrase at the expense of.
Countable when referring to a specific item or category of spending (a travel expense). Uncountable when referring to the general state of spending money (expense is a burden).
Meanings
Examples
The monthly expense for electricity has increased significantly.
The firm will expense all travel costs related to the conference.
Phrasal Verbs
expense out
to record a cost as a business expense for accounting purposes
The firm decided to expense out the travel costs for the conference.