derroche

Derroche is a noun in Spanish that refers to wasteful expenditure or extravagant spending, especially of money, food, energy, or time. It can describe lavish consumption that is excessive or inefficient, and is commonly used in political and economic discourse to criticize resource misallocation. In Portuguese, derroche carries a closely related meaning.

Etymology: The word derives from the verb derrochar (to squander or waste), with the noun form derroche denoting the act or result of such waste. The term often carries negative connotations, ranging from casual excess to systematic mismanagement.

Usage: Derroche is frequently employed in analyses of public finances to denote budgetary waste or unnecessary expenditures. It appears in discussions of energy and water use to condemn avoidable consumption. In cultural criticism, it can describe conspicuous luxury or ostentatious projects that do not deliver commensurate value. The term appears alongside synonyms such as despilfarro and dispendio.

See also: despilfarro, dispendio, extravagance, conspicuous consumption, wastefulness, efficiency.