[ik-spens] 
noun, verb, -pensed, -pens⋅ing.| 1. | cost or charge: the expense of a good meal. |
| 2. | a cause or occasion of spending: A car can be a great expense. |
| 3. | the act of expending; expenditure. |
| 4. | expenses,
|
| 5. | to charge or write off as an expense. |
| 6. | to be expensed. |
| 7. | at the expense of, at the sacrifice of; to the detriment of: quantity at the expense of quality. |
expense
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at the expense of
Also, at one's expense.
Paid for by someone, as in The hotel bill for the sales force is at the expense of the company. [Mid-1600s]
To the detriment or injury of a person or thing, as in We can't speed up production at the expense of quality, or The laughter was all at Tom's expense. [Late 1600s]
