defray

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defray

/dɪˈfɹeɪ/ Canada, US, UK
/dɪˈfɹæɪ/ Australia

Rhymes with -eɪ

Where it comes from

From Middle French desfrayer, French défrayer, from dé- + Old French fraier (“to spend”).

verb defrays · defraying · defrayed

transitive To pay or discharge (a debt, expense etc.); to meet (the cost of something). The expenses of the war, while in progress, were defrayed by executing rich men and confiscating their property.
Similar: finance, fray, offset
archaic, transitive To pay for (something).
obsolete, transitive To spend (money).

Translations

Every language

verb to pay or discharge (a debt, expense etc.); to meet (the cost of something)

Español	costear
中文	支付 zhīfù
Français	défrayer
Русский	опла́чивать opláčivatʹ, плати́ть platítʹ, покрыва́ть pokryvátʹ, взять расхо́ды на себя vzjatʹ rasxódy na sebja

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Cite this

MLA

"defray." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/defray. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

defray. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/defray

Chicago

"defray." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/defray.

BibTeX

@misc{defray_2026,
  title = {defray},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/defray},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}