at the expense of

/at ðɪ ɛkspˈɛns ɒv/

/æt ðɪ ɛkspˈɛns ʌv/

[preposition]

at the expense of

[PREPOSITION]

causing a negative consequence or cost to someone or something in order to benefit another

Examples

1. Her fame was bought at the expense of her marriage.

2. The best things that you know about Florida on those beautiful postcards are at the expense of black people of immigrant people, Haitian folks, African folks, these are the invisible people who make Florida run.

3. We have problems in our corporate governance where CEOs are taking a larger and larger share of the corporate pie and dancing themselves at the expense of their workers and of investment.

4. The standardized languages get taught in schools at the expense of regional dialects, even though the regional dialects are just as old.