Is expenditure formal or informal?

It is fairly formal. People use it in reports, business writing, and academic English.

What is the difference between expenditure and spending?

Expenditure is more formal and often used for planned money amounts. Spending is more general and common in everyday English.

Can I use expenditure for personal shopping?

You can, but it may sound too formal. In daily speech, people usually say spending or expenses.

← Dictionary

expenditure

/ɪkˈspen.dɪ.tʃə/

IELTSAcademic

noun

Money spent on something, especially in business, government, or planning. It can also mean the act of spending money.

The company reduced its expenditure last year.
Our monthly expenditure is higher than before.
Public expenditure on health has increased.

Adinary Nuance

Expenditure is more formal than spending and is common in reports, budgets, and academic writing. It usually refers to amounts of money, not everyday shopping. Use spending for a more general or casual word.

In other languages

Vietnamese: chi tiêu
Spanish: gasto
Chinese: 支出
Japanese: 支出
Korean: 지출

Etymology

Expenditure came into English in the 16th century from Latin expendere, meaning “to weigh out” or “to pay out.” It is related to expend and spending.

Common phrases

capital expenditurepublic expenditureexpenditure onconsumer expenditure

Synonyms

spending outlay expense

Related words

budget cost income revenue

Frequently asked questions

Is expenditure formal or informal?: It is fairly formal. People use it in reports, business writing, and academic English.
What is the difference between expenditure and spending?: Expenditure is more formal and often used for planned money amounts. Spending is more general and common in everyday English.
Can I use expenditure for personal shopping?: You can, but it may sound too formal. In daily speech, people usually say spending or expenses.