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expenses vs. expenditure

English translation: expenses=individual, expenditure=larger

07:12 Aug 26, 2004
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general)
English term or phrase: expenses vs. expenditure
I need some subtler shades and hues of meaning and use here, in particular - whether both words can be used to denote money spent by an individual.
I'd appreciate input of native speakers most.
thanks in advance, d.
danya
Local time: 08:53
Selected answer:expenses=individual, expenditure=larger
Explanation:
Expenditures would usually be used to refer to chunks of money companies spend for certain things: such as "capital expenditures."

Expenses is more often used to refer to money individuals spend, such as "business trip expenses," "gas expenses," "food expenses," etc.

If you look it up in the dictionary, the definitions are mostly the same, but to me, "expenditure" would be more a chunk of money, maybe an overall sum of expenses spent on something. Maybe a good synonym would be "outlay". "Expenses" sounds more like a specific amount of money a person spent on something ($500 for a computer, etc.)

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Note added at 8 mins (2004-08-26 07:21:09 GMT)
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Example: \"If expenditures exceed income, you will be in debt.\" Expenditures and income are often used together in this fashion, to describe a sum of expenses.
Selected response from:

conejo
United States
Local time: 00:53
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +4expenses=individual, expenditure=larger
conejo
4 +2See explanation
Aoife Kennedy
4 +1itemized vs lump sum
Roddy Stegemann
4Explanation below
Mihailolja


  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
See explanation


Explanation:
I don't think this is a hard and fast rule, but for an individual, "expenses" would be the term to use. "Expenditure" is normally used in connection with spending by governments or large organisations:
" Defence expenditure: government observations of the second report
from the Expenditure Committee (HC 259, session 1974-75). ...
www.bopcris.ac.uk/bop1974/ref2090.html "

"... Government capital expenditure, Government capital expenditure refers to
government spending on investment goods. This means spending ...
www.bized.ac.uk/virtual/economy/ library/glossary/glossarygl.htm "

Aoife Kennedy
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alexander Demyanov: It's mostly a matter of usage. Both mean the same thing but "expenditures" is almost always used in institutional contexts.
6 hrs
  -> thanks :)
agree  Aleksandra Gjoreska
2 days 11 hrs
  -> Thank you :)
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
expenses=individual, expenditure=larger


Explanation:
Expenditures would usually be used to refer to chunks of money companies spend for certain things: such as "capital expenditures."

Expenses is more often used to refer to money individuals spend, such as "business trip expenses," "gas expenses," "food expenses," etc.

If you look it up in the dictionary, the definitions are mostly the same, but to me, "expenditure" would be more a chunk of money, maybe an overall sum of expenses spent on something. Maybe a good synonym would be "outlay". "Expenses" sounds more like a specific amount of money a person spent on something ($500 for a computer, etc.)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 mins (2004-08-26 07:21:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Example: \"If expenditures exceed income, you will be in debt.\" Expenditures and income are often used together in this fashion, to describe a sum of expenses.


    Reference: http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=exp...
    Reference: http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=exp...
conejo
United States
Local time: 00:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Java Cafe
8 hrs
  -> thanks
agree  Craft.Content
1 day 25 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Aleksandra Gjoreska
2 days 11 hrs
  -> Thanks
agree  DrAnnie
1410 days
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Explanation below


Explanation:
"Expenses" usually means money spent by an employeee in the course of their work for a company. A good example is a Sales Representative who has to pay for accomodation, food etc while they do their job, these are all expenses that they can claim back by presenting the receipts to their Employer.

"Expenditure" as explained here is slightly different ( hope this helps )

expenditure [Show phonetics]
noun
1 [C or U] the total amount of money that a government or person spends:
It's part of a drive to cut government expenditure.
The government's annual expenditure on arms has been reduced.

2 [U] the act of using or spending energy, time or money:
The expenditure of effort on this project has been enormous.

(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)








    Reference: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=27047&dict=CA...
Mihailolja
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in UkrainianUkrainian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Aoife Kennedy: Expenses can also be used to describe spending by an individual on a private basis. Note added: household expenses such as utility bills, food, clothing, etc. These are all expenses that an individual incurs on a private basis.
19 mins
  -> Thanks Aoife, I wasn't aware of that, can you give me any examples?Thanks!
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39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
itemized vs lump sum


Explanation:
The term "expenses" refers to the individual items of an itemized list of costs. Expenditure emphasizes the total outlay. I have seen and used the following terms on numerous occasions: "household expenses", "household expenditure", "corporate expenses", "corporate expenditure", "department expenses", "department expenditure", "government expenses", and "government expenditure".

If one these terms "expenses" or "expenditure" is used in one context more than another, then it is because we tend to itemize or lump things together more in one context or another.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 41 mins (2004-08-26 08:53:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Correction: \"If one these\" should have read \"If one of these\".

Roddy Stegemann
United States
Local time: 22:53
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  nothing: Yes, expenses are particular payments, while expenditure is the sum of all expenses
44 mins
  -> Yes, well stated. Thanks!
neutral  Alexander Demyanov: how about "living expenses"?|||It's not that I completely disagree w/your general approach. It just seems to be more about institutional usage rather than about lump/itemized|||Usage is too fuzzy a thing for "diagree"'s
5 hrs
  -> The rule of thumb that I have provided above is just that - a rule of thumb. Thank you for illustrative example. I find it very worthy. You have made me think of other exceptions, as well. // Then you should probably disagree, but I maintain my position.
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