outlay

1 of 2

verb

out·​lay ˈau̇t-ˌlā How to pronounce outlay (audio)
ˌau̇t-ˈlā
outlaid ˈau̇t-ˌlād How to pronounce outlay (audio)
ˌau̇t-ˈlād
; outlaying

transitive verb

: to lay out (money) : expend

outlay

2 of 2

noun

out·​lay ˈau̇t-ˌlā How to pronounce outlay (audio)
1
: the act of expending
2
: expenditure, payment
outlays for national defense

Examples of outlay in a Sentence

Verb the nation had outlaid nearly 20 billion dollars on social programs at that point Noun The initial outlay for the program will be 2.4 million dollars. Maintaining a horse requires considerable outlay.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
Vasquez then asked if the RDA had outlaid any money for LaPorte County for shoreline development. Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025 Linear ratings are in decline and ad demand has been muted for several quarters owing to economic unrest and changes in how Madison Avenue outlays its dollars for media. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
Totally worth it £5m — hiring and sacking Dan Ashworth, the best sporting director in the world who left in December just a few months after joining the club from Newcastle £200m — summer transfer outlay on Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui. Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025 For the opera in Colombia staged by an American composer, $22,000 of the $47,000 outlay was in nonfederal funding. Linda Qiu, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for outlay

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1802, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1798, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of outlay was in 1798

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Cite this Entry

“Outlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outlay. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

outlay

noun
out·​lay
ˈau̇t-ˌlā
1
: the act of spending
2
: an amount spent : payment

More from Merriam-Webster on outlay

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