EMBEZZLE

embezzle, defalcate, peculate, misappropriate, malversate

(verb) appropriate (as property entrusted to one’s care) fraudulently to one’s own use; “The accountant embezzled thousands of dollars while working for the wealthy family”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

embezzle (third-person singular simple present embezzles, present participle embezzling, simple past and past participle embezzled)

(legal, business) To steal or misappropriate money that one has been trusted with, especially to steal money from the organisation for which one works.

Synonyms

• defalcate

• have one's hand in the till

• misappropriate

• peculate

Source: Wiktionary


Em*bez"zle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Embezzled; p. pr. & vb. n. Embezzling.] Etym: [Norm. F. embeseiller to destroy; cf. OF. besillier to ill treat, ravage, destroy. Cf. Bezzle.]

1. To appropriate fraudulently to one's own use, as property intrusted to one's care; to apply to one's private uses by a breach of trust; as, to embezzle money held in trust.

2. To misappropriate; to waste; to dissipate in extravagance. [Obs.] To embezzle our money in drinking or gaming. Sharp.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 February 2025

BARGAIN

(noun) an advantageous purchase; “she got a bargain at the auction”; “the stock was a real buy at that price”


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