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
Verb
This is a huge win for builders who have to outlay a lot of capital to purchase land and are hesitant to get into warehouse space because of the additional CAPEX said Tim Sullivan, senior managing principal at Zonda, a nationwide data and media group. Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 7 July 2021 The company will initially outlay $10,000 to be shared by the group - Miami volleyball player Taylor Burrell, Florida State soccer player Jaelin Howell, Central Florida track athlete Rayniah Jones and Florida gymnast Trinity Thomas - starting Thursday. USA TODAY, 1 July 2021 With resources at a premium, now is the time to reassess products and services, perhaps remarket or rebrand and, most importantly, determine how best to outlay capital. Noelle Federico, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2022 Farmers have to outlay massive amounts of money at the beginning of the season to pay for everything. Sarah Bowman, IndyStar, 30 Sep. 2022 This is a great time for the interviewer to outlay strategies the company has implemented, and resources that have been allocated. Jen Jamula, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2021 In recent weeks, Biden has sought to revive a flagging operation in Iowa, spending more time in the state and outlaying more on online and TV ads ahead of the Feb. 3 caucuses. Ryan Teague Beckwith, Bloomberg.com, 10 May 2020 Aaron Wan-Bissaka: Owned by a sizeable 24%, Manchester United simply have not been keeping clean sheets to justify the £5.5m outlay on their summer recruit. SI.com, 27 Sep. 2019 Once, that outlay might have won him more than mockery. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 22 Nov. 2019
Noun
The performances of firms that made big outlays in 2021—a year that saw a record number of deals, many at sky-high valuations—are coming back into focus, according to my colleague Luisa Beltran. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 For an outlay of a further £25 million, Manchester United might be best positioned to walk away from any deal. Liam Canning, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 In a federal government seemingly incapable of sticking to the necessary and proper, 2024 interest payments on debt topping $34 trillion are set to surpass defense spending as well as Medicare outlays. Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 The German government is allocating the equivalent of $76.8 billion for defense spending in the current year through regular and special budget outlays. Reuters, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2024 Amazon’s bigger outlay for content came even amid Hollywood’s twin WGA and SAG-AFTRA protracted strikes last year that halted most TV and movie productions for months. Todd Spangler, Variety, 2 Feb. 2024 Government spending increases Government outlays rose for the sixth straight quarter, increasing 3.3% after a 5.8% advance in the previous quarter. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024 Even then, the return from the uplift may not offset the outlay on mixing for spatial, sources say, particularly for smaller indies, labels with younger or developing artists, or those with genres or artists that don’t typically stream very well. Dan Rys, Billboard, 8 Feb. 2024 That initial outlay helped power the party’s efforts the rest of that year, ultimately aiding Mr. Biden in the general election with support from Latino voters. Anjali Huynh, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outlay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near outlay

Cite this Entry

“Outlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outlay. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

outlay

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

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