Expenditures

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɛkˈspɛndɪt͡ʃɚz/

Definitions

1. The sum of financial resources allocated for goods, services, or any measurable expenses demonstrates economic activity
2. A detailed account of all monetary disbursements undertaken for operational costs, investments, or purchases reflects fiscal management
3. The total money paid out to cover costs, purchases, or investments

Etymology: The key fact is in the Latin verb behind it. "Expendō" meant "to weigh out," as in weighing coins or metal to pay for something, and the sense of spending came later. Weighing was how payment worked before standardized coinage, so to weigh out a sum was to pay it. The English word keeps that money-first meaning, though it lost the scales. The noun is built from the Medieval Latin "expenditus," the irregular past participle of "expendō," with the suffix "-ure," which turns an action into the result or process of that action. So "expenditure" is, in effect, the outcome of spending. The plural "expenditures" is simply the form used when counting separate sums paid out, as in a budget listing several outlays.

Synonyms: spending, expenses, outlays

Antonyms: savings, income, revenue