0 (especially of an organization) to pay the cost of something:
1 to pay or provide all or part of the money for costs or expenses:
defray costs/expenses A temporary tax rebate was available to help multinational corporations defray their business costs.
These societies were established and sustained by weekly contributions to defray the expenses of burial.
Generous donations from individuals helped defray the costs.
Much of this expenditure was defrayed by means of increasing tax burdens on single people and childless couples.
By overstating the total costs of projects, these seemingly modest requests could defray a substantial portion of actual costs.
Members pay a small monthly fee, which defrays local and national administrative costs.
For defraying expenses, union administrators were empowered to levy rates (of taxation on local property valuations).
Participation was voluntary after informed consent was obtained, and patients were compensated with $50 to defray cost for transportation and time.
Evaluation is seen as a central component of a resultant new regime of scrutiny, which defrays political responsibility and replaces it with the 'virtuous circle of evaluation, evidence, performance'.
