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
CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was convicted of embezzling $539 million in state funds.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 26 Dec. 2025
The Idaho American Legion last year accused Abrahamson of embezzling at least $750,000 of its money.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 15 Dec. 2025
Authorities said Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, who served as executive director of the group since at least 2016, embezzled funds for her own benefit.
—Arkansas Online, 13 Dec. 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 2 Jan. 2026.
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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