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Definition of "outlay" []

  • The spending or disbursement of money: the weekly outlay on groceries. (noun)
  • An amount spent; an expenditure: "huge new outlays for the military” ( New York Times). (noun)
  • To spend or disburse (money). (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "outlay" in a sentence
  • "The initial outlay is higher, but because the systems last so much longer in bad conditions, they cost becomes closer to equal over time."
  • "The initial outlay is steep, but it saves a lot of money in the longer-term."
  • "If a monthly outlay is all that concerns you, you may wind up driving a nice (r) car and trading it in every few years (at lease expiration) for … another leased new car."