embezzle
verb
Did you know?
English is full of verbs that mean “to steal” (such as pilfer, rob, swipe, plunder, filch, and thieve). But when it comes to stealing property (and in this context, money is a kind of property) that has been entrusted to you, embezzle wins the prize. The word most often refers to theft of company or government funds that one has charge of, and embezzlement is therefore a hallmark of white-collar crime—that is, crime committed by so-called white-collar workers. In the 15th century, around the time that embezzlement entered English (the ultimate root is Anglo-French besiller “to steal, plunder”), it would have also been possible to say that such plunderers “bezzled” company cash, but bezzle is now considered obsolete.
Examples of embezzle in a Sentence
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Eric Borghetti, 51, of Chelmsford, has been charged with five counts of embezzlement by a fiduciary for allegedly embezzling $328,500 from a family member.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
Her party, National Rally (RN), was ordered to pay €2 million in fines for the €4.1 million that it was accused of embezzling.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025
Saldívar, who was the manager of Selena's clothing boutiques, Selena Etc., and the founder and president of her fan club, had just been fired by Selena's family for allegedly forging checks to embezzle more than $30,000 from the fan club and boutiques.
—Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for embezzle
Cite this Entry
“Embezzle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embezzle. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
embezzle
verb
Legal Definition
embezzle
transitive verb
Anglo-French embeseiller to make away with, from en-, prefix stressing completion + beseller to snatch, misappropriate, from Old French, to destroy
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