variable expenses

[VER-ee-uh-bul ik-SPEN-siz]
nounpl: variable expenses
despesas variáveis
1. Business costs that fluctuate in direct proportion to production volume or sales activity
Raw materials and packaging are variable expenses that increase when production rises.
Matérias-primas e embalagem são despesas variáveis que aumentam quando a produção sobe.
2. Costs that change based on the level of business activity rather than remaining constant
The company's variable expenses depend on the number of units sold each quarter.
As despesas variáveis da empresa dependem do número de unidades vendidas a cada trimestre.
3. Operating costs that scale with production or service delivery volume
Shipping costs and labor hours are typical variable expenses in manufacturing.
Custos de envio e horas de trabalho são despesas variáveis típicas na manufatura.
This is a standard accounting and business finance term used globally in English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries. It is essential terminology in corporate finance, business planning, and accounting practices in both Brazil and the USA. Understanding the distinction between variable and fixed expenses is fundamental to financial management and budgeting across all business sectors.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
variable costsoperating expensesdirect costssemi-variable expenses
Antonyms / Antônimos
fixed expensesfixed costsoverhead costsstanding charges

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
despesas variáveis
Standard term used in accounting and business contexts
São Paulo
despesas variáveis / custos variáveis
Both terms commonly used in corporate and financial sectors
Rio de Janeiro
despesas variáveis
Standard usage in business and finance
Portugal
despesas variáveis / custos variáveis
Standard European Portuguese term for variable expenses in accounting

Related Words

fixed expensescost of goods soldbreak-even analysiscontribution marginoperating budget

Related Idioms & Phrases

cut variable costs
control variable expenses
reduce overhead by managing variable expenses
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →