Question on the use of the word 'defray"

[GreenWyvern]

@Dr.Strangelove

Part of the question though is whether it must strictly refer to a payment, or if it can relate to a discount or other means of reducing some cost that doesn’t involve a money transfer. I agree that outside of the examples in this thread, it always refers to a monetary cost of some kind. But in the usage I’m familiar with it could include discounts.

I would say it can include discounts, or anything that reduces costs in any way.

@Dr.Strangelove

If it’s not simply an error, we might see the evolution of meaning as: payment of expense => reduction of expense => reduction of metaphorical cost => reduction of any abstract thing.

I believe the OP quote is simply an error. None of the dictionary definitions I’ve seen give any meaning unrelated to financial costs.