outlay

Compared meaning: money that is spent (noun).

比较义项：花费的钱，开支（名词）。

• expenditure

  A general, formal word for money spent over time, on anything from daily bills to government budgets; often used with words like 'monthly', 'annual', or 'public'.

  指长期或日常花费的一个通用、正式的词，涵盖从日常账单到政府预算的各种支出，常与 monthly（每月）、annual（每年）、public（公共）等词搭配。

  The family tracked every monthly expenditure in a notebook.

  这家人把每月的每一笔开支都记在本子里。

• outlay 本词

  Refers to a specific, often one-time sum of money put into something at the start, like buying equipment; usually paired with 'initial' and implies an investment expected to pay off later.

  指一次性投入某件事情开头的特定款项，比如购买设备，常与 initial（最初的）搭配，暗示这是一笔预期日后能有回报的投资。

  The initial outlay for the new equipment was quite high.

  购置新设备的初始费用相当高。

Expenditure and outlay both mean money spent, but the type differs. Expenditure is a general, formal word for money spent over time, like monthly or annual costs. Outlay is a specific, often one-time sum spent at the start, such as buying equipment.

两词都指花掉的钱，但 outlay 更强调一次性、事先投入的费用（如购置设备的资金），而 expenditure 泛指任何持续或日常的开支，语体也更正式。