You've probably heard someone say they got a promotion "at the expense of" their sanity. Or maybe a politician pushed a bill through at the expense of their reputation. It’s one of those phrases that floats around our daily vocabulary, feeling heavy and a bit dramatic. But if you actually stop to look at the at the expense definition, it’s more than just a fancy way to say "costing me something." It implies a trade-off. A sacrifice. Usually, it's about one thing flourishing only because another thing was systematically dismantled or ignored.
Language is weird. We use idioms like this without thinking about the mechanics. But "at the expense of" isn't just about money. It’s about the displacement of value.
Think about a high-performance athlete. They reach the podium. They get the gold. But that gold came at the expense of their joints, their social life, and maybe their long-term health. The phrase suggests a zero-sum game. For there to be a winner, there must be a literal or figurative bill paid by something else.
What the At the Expense Definition Actually Means in Plain English
Basically, the at the expense definition refers to a situation where something is achieved by causing harm, damage, or neglect to something else. Merriam-Webster and the Oxford English Dictionary both lean into this idea of "detriment." It’s not just a price tag; it’s a consequence.
If you build a massive highway, you get faster commute times. Great. But if that highway cuts through a historic neighborhood, the speed comes at the expense of community heritage. You can't have both. The road exists because the neighborhood was sacrificed.
Honesty is key here. Sometimes people use this phrase to sound professional, but it’s actually a quite visceral way to describe loss. It’s a tool for critique. When a journalist says a company’s profits grew at the expense of worker safety, they aren't just stating a fact. They are making a moral observation. They are pointing out a lopsided balance sheet of human life versus capital.
The Nuance of "At Someone's Expense"
There’s a slight pivot in the at the expense definition when we talk about people specifically. To do something "at someone else's expense" usually means making them look foolish or causing them grief to benefit yourself. Usually, this shows up in humor.
Ever been the butt of a joke?
The comedian got the laugh. The audience had a good time. But it happened at your expense. Your dignity was the currency used to "buy" that moment of entertainment. It’s a social transaction where one person is depleted so another can be filled. It's kinda mean, honestly.
Real-World Examples of the Phrase in Action
Let's look at how this plays out in different sectors. It’s not just for English class.
In the world of business, you’ll hear analysts talk about "growth at the expense of margins." This means a company is selling a ton of products, but they are doing it so cheaply that they aren't actually making much profit. They are chasing market share while their bank account bleeds. It's a risky strategy.
In ecology, we talk about urban sprawl at the expense of biodiversity. We get suburban housing—which people need—but we lose the wetlands. The frogs pay the bill.
Historically, the phrase pops up in heavy contexts. Look at the Industrial Revolution. Massive technological leaps occurred, truly changing the world forever. But these leaps happened at the expense of child laborers and the environment. You can't talk about the progress of the 1800s without acknowledging who or what was spent to get there.
Common Misunderstandings
Sometimes people confuse "at the expense of" with "because of." They aren't the same.
"Because of" is a simple cause-and-effect.
"At the expense of" implies a loss.
If I say, "I got healthy because of my trainer," that's a positive attribution.
If I say, "I got thin at the expense of my metabolism," I’m saying I probably did something unsustainable or damaging to get there. There is a "bite" to the phrase. It tastes like regret or at least a very difficult choice.
The Grammar of Sacrifice
If you're writing this out, you don't need a bunch of commas. It’s a prepositional phrase. It usually functions as an adverbial modifier.
- "The company expanded at the expense of its core values."
- "He joked at his brother's expense."
Notice how the phrase follows the action. It qualifies the "how" or the "cost" of the verb. It’s a very efficient way to pack a lot of narrative weight into a sentence. Instead of saying, "He made a joke and it made his brother feel bad and that’s how he got the laugh," you just say he joked at his brother’s expense.
Boom.
Done.
Why Do We Use It?
Honestly, we use it because life is rarely a win-win. We like to think we can have it all. We can't.
Every choice has an opportunity cost. Economists love that term. Opportunity cost is basically the at the expense definition translated into math. If you spend $10 on a burger, you have the burger, but you no longer have the $10 or the ability to buy a salad. The burger came at the expense of the salad.
In a world of finite resources—time, money, energy, attention—everything we do is at the expense of something else we could have been doing. Reading this article right now is happening at the expense of you scrolling TikTok or doing your laundry. (Thanks for picking the article, by the way).
Is it always negative?
Usually, yeah. It’s hard to find a positive spin on "at the expense of." Even when the outcome is good, the phrase focuses on the part that was lost. It’s a phrase of mourning or warning.
If a doctor says a patient's life was saved at the expense of their leg, the "save" is good, but the "at the expense of" keeps us grounded in the reality of the loss. It prevents us from being too celebratory without acknowledging the price paid. It keeps the conversation honest.
Improving Your Vocabulary Naturally
Using the at the expense definition correctly makes your writing sound more sophisticated, but don't overdo it. If you use it three times in one paragraph, you sound like a textbook.
Mix it up.
Instead of always saying "at the expense of," you could try:
- "To the detriment of" (very formal).
- "While sacrificing" (active and clear).
- "At the cost of" (simple and direct).
- "Trading X for Y" (conversational).
If you’re writing a report for work, "at the expense of" is great. It sounds objective. If you're talking to a friend about a breakup, saying "He found happiness at the expense of my mental health" is a powerful way to frame the hurt. It identifies the thief.
Actionable Takeaways for Using the Phrase
To really master this, you need to see the "hidden bill" in every situation. Before you use the phrase, ask yourself: What was actually lost here?
- Identify the Trade-off: If there is no clear loss or damage, don't use the phrase. Use "by means of" or "through" instead.
- Check the Subject: Is it a person or an object? If it's a person, ensure you mean that they were humiliated or harmed.
- Watch the Tone: Use it when you want to highlight a hard truth or a systemic flaw. It’s a "truth-telling" idiom.
- Vary Your Structure: Don't start every sentence with it. Let it sit at the end of a thought to give the sentence a "punch" or a sense of gravity.
Understanding the at the expense definition helps you see the world more clearly. It forces you to look past the shiny "win" and see the wreckage or the cost left behind. Whether you're analyzing a business deal or a social interaction, it's a phrase that demands accountability.
Next time you hear a "success story," ask yourself what it came at the expense of. The answer is usually where the real story lives.
✨ Don't miss: How Many Yards in a Quarter Mile? Why the Math Actually Matters
To apply this in your writing, start by auditing your use of "because." If the "because" involves a sacrifice, swap it for "at the expense of" to add weight. If you're editing a document, look for places where a "win" is described and check if the "loss" is being ignored—this is where the phrase adds the most value for the reader.
Check your recent emails or social posts. Look for moments where you described a trade-off. Re-reading your own work with this definition in mind helps solidify the concept far better than just reading a dictionary entry.