embezzle
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Etymology
From Middle English embesilen, from Anglo-Norman embesiler, embesillier, embeseillier (“to steal, cause to disappear”), from em- + Old French besillier (“to torment, destroy, gouge”), of unknown origin.[1]
Pronunciation
Verb
embezzle (third-person singular simple present embezzles, present participle embezzling, simple past and past participle embezzled)
- (law, business) To steal or misappropriate money that one has been trusted with, especially to steal money from the organisation for which one works.
- 1903, H.G. Wells, Twelve Stories and a Dream
- You waste your education in burglary. You should do one of two things. Either you should forge or you should embezzle. For my own part, I embezzle.
- 1861, George Eliot, Silas Marner
- You let Dunsey have it, sir? And how long have you been so thick with Dunsey that you must collogue with him to embezzle my money?
- 1903, H.G. Wells, Twelve Stories and a Dream
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
to steal money that one has been trusted with
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References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “embezzle”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
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