Phrase guide

at the expense of

prep · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

prep

Meaning 1

Paid for by an individual or group.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prep

Meaning 2

At one's responsibility.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

prep

Meaning 3

In a way as to harm somebody or something; to the detriment of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

prep

Meaning 4

Of a joke, deriding someone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَلَى حِسَابِ (ʕalā ḥisābi) — paid for by an individual or group
  • Arabic: عَلَى نَفَقَةِ (ʕalā nafaqati) — paid for by an individual or group
  • Azerbaijani: hesabına — paid for by an individual or group
  • French: à ses frais — paid for by an individual or group
  • Galician: a conta de — paid for by an individual or group
  • German: auf Rechnung — paid for by an individual or group
  • Polish: kosztem — paid for by an individual or group
  • Portuguese: por conta de — paid for by an individual or group
  • Spanish: a expensas de — paid for by an individual or group
  • Spanish: a costa de — paid for by an individual or group
  • Spanish: a costo de — paid for by an individual or group
  • Spanish: a cuenta de — paid for by an individual or group
  • Spanish: a coste de — paid for by an individual or group
  • Spanish: por cuenta de — paid for by an individual or group
  • Swedish: på bekostnad av — paid for by an individual or group
  • Arabic: عَلَى حِسَابِ (ʕalā ḥisābi) — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Azerbaijani: hesabına — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Azerbaijani: bahasına — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • French: au détriment de — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Galician: a conta de — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • German: auf Kosten — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • German: zum Schaden — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Old English: tō dare — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Polish: kosztem — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Portuguese: à custa de — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Portuguese: às custas de — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Spanish: a costa de — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Spanish: a costo de — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Spanish: a cuenta de — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Spanish: a expensas de — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Spanish: a coste de — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Swedish: till priset av — in a way as to harm somebody or something
  • Swedish: på bekostnad av — in a way as to harm somebody or something