defrayed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "defrayed" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in the context of covering or paying for expenses or costs. Example: "The organization defrayed the costs of the event to ensure that all participants could attend without financial burden."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

28 human-written examples

Some costs will be defrayed through profits on its 57% stake in the park.

The Economist

If you exempt any of the rich charities, you must proportionally burden those classes, for the actual expenditure must be defrayed; and if A is let off, B must pay more.

The Economist

A pupil of the sculptor Lysippus, Chares fashioned for the Rhodians a colossal bronze statue of the sun god Helios, the cost of which was defrayed by selling engines of war left by Demetrius I Poliorcetes after a siege in 305 304 bce.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"However, the cost of all the constructions made by novacap will... be defrayed by the sale of eighty thousand residential ground lots and thousands of small farms surrounding the capital".

The New Yorker

Part of this leap, without doubt, is attributable to the opening, in 1992, of the Orioles' highly popular new park, Camden Yards (whose construction costs, by the way, were defrayed by a Maryland bond issue).

The New Yorker

And even though they probably didn't owe the delivery guy the entire tab for the mutual mistake, they should have defrayed some of his loss, at least covering what the husband ate.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

31 human-written examples

Police and soldiers had to hold back the rush at a local office of the ruling party as voters clamoured for handouts of hundreds of dollars, ostensibly to help defray housing costs.Yet the voters could not be bought.

The Economist

Without properly encoded and encrypted movie files from the studios, even the most high-tech directors will not be able to get their work in front of an audience.Mr Beck suspects that cinemas keen to start defraying the cost of their projectors might not be prepared to wait.

The Economist

The "back-hauling" of goods to South Africa fish from Mozambique or strawberries from Zimbabwe helps to defray the cost of moving stuff the other way, says Dallas Langman, an executive at Pick n Pay.

The Economist

Under his scheme, families would receive $5,000 to defray the cost of their health insurance.

The Economist

In an especially notorious punitive expedition against Benin (in modern-day Nigeria) in 1897, the British not only plundered the kingdom's treasures but sold them to foreign collectors to defray their operational expenses (ie, the oppressed were required to finance the cost of their oppression).

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "defrayed" when you want to indicate that costs or expenses were covered, often partially, by a specific source or means. It's particularly useful in formal writing and financial contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "defrayed" to mean fully paid if only a portion of the cost was covered. Instead, clarify the extent to which the expenses were "partially defrayed" or "substantially defrayed" to avoid ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The term "defrayed" primarily functions as a past participle or past tense verb. As evidenced by Ludwig, it indicates that costs or expenses have been covered or paid for, often by an external source.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Encyclopedias

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

5%

Reference

3%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the word "defrayed" is a versatile term used to indicate that costs or expenses have been covered. According to Ludwig, its grammatical function is primarily as a past participle or past tense verb, serving to describe a financial state. It's most commonly found in news and media sources, and leans toward a neutral to formal register. When writing, it's important to consider the scope of coverage, noting if the expenses were only partially or fully "defrayed" and to clarify the extent to which the expenses were "partially defrayed" or "substantially defrayed" to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives include "paid for", "covered", and "financed". As confirmed by Ludwig, the use of "defrayed" is grammatically correct.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

covered the expenses

Focuses on the act of covering costs, similar to "defrayed" but less formal.

paid for

A very direct and common way of saying expenses were taken care of.

financed the costs

Highlights the financial aspect of covering expenses.

offset the costs

Indicates a balancing out of expenses with some form of revenue or savings.

absorbed the expense

Suggests that the cost was taken on without necessarily being fully covered.

met the cost of

Implies that the necessary funds were available to pay for something.

settled the bill

A more informal term referring to the payment of an invoice or account.

borne the cost

Emphasizes the responsibility of carrying the financial burden.

subsidized the expense

Suggests partial coverage of costs, usually by an external entity.

underwrote the cost

Implies a guarantee of funds to cover an expense, often by an institution.

FAQs

How is "defrayed" typically used in a sentence?

The term "defrayed" is generally used to indicate that expenses or costs have been covered, often partially, by a specific source. For example, "The costs were "covered" by donations" is similar to saying "The costs were defrayed by donations".

What are some alternatives to using "defrayed"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "paid for", "covered", or "financed". Each alternative emphasizes a slightly different aspect of cost coverage.

Is it correct to use "defrayed" if the costs were only partially covered?

Yes, "defrayed" can be used even if the costs were only partially covered. However, it's helpful to clarify the extent by saying "partially defrayed" or "substantially defrayed" to avoid any misunderstanding.

What's the difference between "defrayed" and "reimbursed"?

"Defrayed" usually implies covering costs upfront or as they occur, while "reimbursed" means being repaid for expenses already incurred. Therefore, "reimbursed" expenses are typically repaid after they have already been made.