disburse

verb

dis·​burse dis-ˈbərs 

disbursed; disbursing

transitive verb

1

a

: to pay out : expend especially from a fund

disburse money

b

: to make a payment in settlement of

disburse a bill

2

: distribute

disburser noun

Synonyms

• drop
• expend
• fork (over, out, or up)
• give
• lay out
• outlay
• pay
• shell out
• spend

Examples of disburse in a Sentence

The money will be disbursed on the basis of need.

The government has disbursed millions of dollars in foreign aid.

Recent Examples on the Web

While a full repeal of the law is likely to be a complex process that would encounter pushback due to potential job losses in Republican districts, the White House and Republican Congress would have broader latitude in determining how funds are disbursed, including altering eligibility criteria. —Zack Budryk, The Hill, 4 Dec. 2024

The company sends out bills and collects contributions from service providers, and disburses money to program beneficiaries. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024

Rather than give out all $25 million at one time, the Frontera Culture Fund will disburse its funds over the next several years. —Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2024

In a three-month span, more than $260,000 was disbursed — either by withdrawal or check made payable to cash — from the couple’s accounts at Pacific Western Bank, according to a report Piro filed to the court. —Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French desbourser, from Old French desborser, from des- dis- + borse purse, from Medieval Latin bursa

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

disburse

verb

dis·​burse dis-ˈbərs 

disbursed; disbursing

: to pay out : expend

disburse money

disburser noun

Etymology

from early French desbourser "to pay out money," from des- "out, away" and borse "a purse," from Latin bursa "a small leather bag" — related to purse, reimburse