How to use "at the expense of"

What Does "at the expense of" Mean?

• The collocation "at the expense of" means that something is achieved or obtained by sacrificing, harming, or foregoing something else. It indicates a cost or negative consequence associated with an action or decision.
• The meaning is semi-idiomatic. While "expense" literally refers to cost, the phrase implies a broader, often non-monetary, sacrifice.
• The register is neutral to formal, suitable for both written and spoken communication, but less common in very informal settings.

How to Use It

• Grammatical pattern: The phrase typically follows a statement describing an action or achievement: [Action/Achievement] at the expense of [Something Sacrificed/Harmed].
• Typical objects that follow "at the expense of" include abstract nouns (e.g., trust, quality, safety) or concrete nouns (e.g., resources, time, health).
• The components of the phrase cannot be separated. It is a fixed collocation.
• What sounds unnatural: Using incorrect prepositions (e.g., "on the expense of") or using the phrase to simply describe a monetary cost without implying a sacrifice or negative consequence.

Real-World Examples

These examples are sourced from at the expense of on Ludwig.guru.

"But not at the expense of your soul and substance." — Huffington Post

"This comes at the expense of trust." — University of California, Berkeley

"But at the expense of someone's life?" — The New Yorker

"It benefited producers at the expense of consumers." — Latin American Economic Review

"It's not just profit at the expense of society, or at the expense of the consumer." — Harvard Business Review

Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/at+the+expense+of

Similar Phrases and Alternatives

Phrase	Context
to the detriment of	More formal; emphasizes harm or damage.
at the cost of	Similar meaning, but can refer to both monetary and non-monetary costs.
by sacrificing	Emphasizes the act of giving something up.
at the sacrifice of	Similar to "by sacrificing," highlighting the loss.
to the prejudice of	More formal and legalistic; suggests harm to rights or interests.
at the price of	Similar to "at the cost of," but often implies a higher or more significant cost.
by foregoing	Emphasizes the act of willingly giving something up.

Common Mistakes

• Using the wrong preposition (e.g., "on the expense of" or "for the expense of") is a common error. The correct preposition is always "at."
• Misunderstanding the meaning and using it when simply referring to cost or price is another mistake. "At the expense of" implies a sacrifice or negative consequence, not just a monetary outlay.
• Attempting to separate the components of the phrase (e.g., "at the great expense of") is grammatically incorrect. While you can modify the noun it refers to, the phrase itself is fixed.

Quick-Reference Summary

Expression	Meaning	Grammatical Pattern	Register
At the expense of	Achieved or obtained by sacrificing, harming, or foregoing something else.	[Action/Achievement] at the expense of [Something Sacrificed/Harmed]	Neutral to Formal

FAQs

Can the parts of "at the expense of" be separated, or must they always stay together?

The phrase "at the expense of" is a fixed collocation and should not be separated. While you can modify the noun that follows (e.g., "at the expense of valuable resources"), the core phrase itself must remain intact.

---

How is "at the expense of" different from "at the cost of"?

While both phrases indicate a trade-off, "at the expense of" typically implies a more significant or negative consequence than "at the cost of." "At the cost of" can refer to a simple monetary cost, whereas "at the expense of" usually suggests a sacrifice or harm to something valuable.

---

What's wrong with saying "on the expense of" instead of "at the expense of"?

Using "on the expense of" is grammatically incorrect. The correct preposition to use with "expense" in this context is always "at." Using the wrong preposition changes the meaning and makes the sentence nonsensical.