Overoutlay: meaning, definitions and examples

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overoutlay

 

[ oʊvərˈaʊtleɪ ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

financial term

Overoutlay refers to expenditures that exceed the planned budget for a specific project or purpose. It indicates a situation where the actual spending surpasses the allocated funds, potentially leading to financial issues or the need for additional funding.

Synonyms

budget excess, over expenditure, overspending.

Examples of usage

  • The project faced an overoutlay due to unexpected costs.
  • Management is concerned about the overoutlay affecting future budgets.
  • They had to secure additional funds to cover the overoutlay.
  • The overoutlay reported last quarter raised alarms among the investors.

Etymology

The term 'overoutlay' is a combination of 'over' and 'outlay'. The prefix 'over-' suggests excess or more than needed, while 'outlay' originates from the Middle English term 'outleien', which means to lay out or expend. The concept applies in various financial contexts, especially in project management and budgeting. Historically, as economic activities became more complex, the need to monitor and control financial spending led to the development of such terms to describe fiscal behavior. Over the years, as businesses have engaged in increasingly intricate financial planning and resource allocation, terms like overoutlay have become vital in assessing financial performance and planning.