one-off expense

USAGE SUMMARY

"one-off expense" is a correct and frequently used term in written English.
You can use this term to describe an expense that is paid or incurred only once. Here is an example sentence: "The cost of replacing the roof was a one-off expense that we hadn't anticipated."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

'The price of interment in Spain is about double that of England.' Be warned, though, that burial is not necessarily a one-off expense.

The Guardian - Money

If Greece were to quit, the first-year cost would be 40-50% of GDP, and subsequent annual costs would be around 15%.Such costs dwarf the one-off expense to Germany of bailing out Greece, Ireland and Portugal were they to default.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"We know that parents are buying fill-up food rather than nutritious fruit and vegetables, because they're so expensive". The cash grants are aimed at paying for one-off expenses like school uniforms, a cot, a school trip or a carpet.

The Guardian

Think about your monthly income and outgoings to plan for one-off expenses and annual bills.

The Times

"Fourth-quarter profit will be pressured by one-off expenses: performance payouts and some $1 billion in legal provisioning relating to the Apple litigation," said Lee Sun-tae, an analyst at NH Investment & Securities.

The New York Times - Tech

These loans are designed to cover one-off expenses until the next pay packet, but missed-payment charges and interest rates in the payday market are extortionate so the debt can quickly spiral out of control.

Independent

If central funding for local welfare schemes is axed we will see more families forced to use pay day lenders, and one-off expenses becoming full-blown crises for families".

The Guardian

Before we get too carried away, it's  worth remembering that LinkedIn is still making a loss – in fact it posted a loss ten times higher than it did in the same  period last year, although much of that was down to one-off expenses.

Independent

It is thought the loss is mainly due to one-off expenses associated with its stock market launch, but investors are now worrying about slowing revenue growth.

BBC

Use the other paycheck to build up savings, eliminate debt, and pay for one-off expenses, such as hospital costs and start-up baby paraphernalia.

BBC

The loss was mainly due to one-off expenses associated with its flotation - excluding staff share schemes, Facebook would have made a profit of $295m.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When budgeting, clearly differentiate between recurring expenses and "one-off expenses" to accurately forecast your financial needs. This helps in avoiding surprises and maintaining a healthy financial outlook.

Common error

Avoid categorizing a "one-off expense" as a recurring cost in your budget. This can lead to inaccurate financial planning and misallocation of resources.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "one-off expense" functions as a noun phrase, typically used as a subject or object within a sentence. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. For example, "The cost of replacing the roof was a "one-off expense" that we hadn't anticipated."

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "one-off expense" is a commonly used and grammatically correct term to describe a non-recurring cost. Ludwig AI states that it accurately describes an expense paid only once. While suitable for various contexts, including news and general discussions, more formal alternatives might be preferable in academic or scientific writing. When budgeting, differentiating between recurring and "one-off expenses" is crucial for accurate financial planning. The phrase appears frequently in contexts such as News & Media, Science, and Formal & Business, as demonstrated by the examples provided by Ludwig. Common alternatives include "non-recurring cost" and "one-time expenditure".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

one-time expenditure

Uses the word "time" instead of "off" but keeps the meaning virtually unchanged.

non-recurring cost

Replaces "expense" with "cost" and emphasizes that it doesn't happen again.

isolated expenditure

Replaces "one-off" with "isolated" and "expense" with "expenditure", creating a slightly more formal tone.

single instance expense

Emphasizes that the expense happens only in a single instance.

unique financial outlay

Replaces "one-off" with "unique" and "expense" with "financial outlay", suggesting a less frequent scenario.

occasional expenditure

Highlights the infrequency of the expense.

irregular expense

Suggests that the expense is not part of the regular budget.

episodic cost

Frames the cost as happening in episodes or occurrences.

unusual expense

Implies that the expense is out of the ordinary.

infrequent financial burden

Replaces "expense" with "financial burden", suggesting a negative impact.

FAQs

How to use "one-off expense" in a sentence?

You can use "one-off expense" to describe costs that occur only once. For example: "The installation fee was a "one-off expense", but the service requires a monthly payment."

What's the difference between "one-off expense" and "recurring expense"?

"One-off expense" refers to a cost incurred only once, while a recurring expense is a cost that happens regularly, such as monthly rent or annual subscriptions.

What can I say instead of "one-off expense"?

You can use alternatives like "non-recurring cost", "one-time expenditure", or "isolated expenditure" depending on the context.

Is "one-off expense" formal or informal?

"One-off expense" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, though more formal terms like "non-recurring cost" might be preferred in some professional settings.