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defray

Verb

IPA /dɪˈfreɪ/

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UNDERSTAND THE WORD

Meaning in plain English

To provide money that covers some or all of an expense.

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Pronunciation

defray/dɪˈfreɪ/

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  1. A course has certain costs

  2. A grant pays some of those costs

Money used to defray expenses helps pay for them.

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Examples in context

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  1. The club's raffle helped defray the cost of the coach trip.
  2. A small grant defrayed her travel expenses for the conference.

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The club's raffle helped ________ the cost of the coach trip.
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defray — To provide money that covers some or all of an expense.

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To provide money that covers some or all of an expense.

Compare: The club's raffle helped defray the cost of the coach trip.

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Word origin

From French defrayer, related to an older word for costs or expenses.

Did you know?

Defray costs and defray expenses are the usual combinations.

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defray

/dɪˈfreɪ/ (Verb)

“Formal: the object is normally a cost or expense. Say defray the costs, not defray the visitor.”

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