expenditure
noun
ex·pen·di·ture
ik-ˈspen-di-chər 
-də-ˌchu̇r,
-də-ˌt(y)u̇r
1
: the act or process of expending
an expenditure of energy
2
: something expended : disbursement, expense
income should exceed expenditures
Examples of expenditure in a Sentence
an increase in military expenditures
an increase in military expenditure
vast expenditures of time and effort
The energy expenditure was significant.
the expenditure of funds for the new school
The project will require an expenditure of effort on everyone's part.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lobbying expenditures from firms linked to the Chinese PLA have intensified as deliberations in Congress have progressed surrounding the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual piece of legislation designed to fund America’s military and deal broadly with national security matters.
—
Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2025
Amazon is making a massive bet on AI this year, with the company forking over $100 million in capital expenditures in 2025.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
Amazon plans to spend over $100 billion on capital expenditures this year.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
Congressional Republicans called the expenditure wasteful and the secretive project fueled more suspicions about its necessity, according to the historical association.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expenditure
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2025
Amazon is making a massive bet on AI this year, with the company forking over $100 million in capital expenditures in 2025.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
Amazon plans to spend over $100 billion on capital expenditures this year.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
Congressional Republicans called the expenditure wasteful and the secretive project fueled more suspicions about its necessity, according to the historical association.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expenditure
Cite this Entry
“Expenditure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expenditure. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expenditure
noun
ex·pen·di·ture
ik-ˈspen-di-chər
-də-ˌchu̇(ə)r
1
: the act of spending (as money, time, or energy)
2
: something that is spent
Legal Definition
expenditure
noun
ex·pen·di·ture
ik-ˈspen-di-chər, -ˌchu̇r
1
: the act or process of paying out
2
: something paid out see also capital expenditure
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