Word of the Day

: May 17, 2010

embezzle

verb im-BEZZ-ul

What It Means

: to appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use

embezzle in Context

The company’s senior accounts manager was able to embezzle thousands of dollars from his employer by way of a loophole in accounting procedures.

Did You Know?

English has a lot of verbs that mean to steal -- some more specific than others. "Pilfer," "purloin," "rob," "swipe," "plunder," "filch," and "thieve" are some noted examples. "Embezzle" differs from these by stressing the improper appropriation of property to which a person is entrusted -- often in the form of company funds. First appearing in English in the 15th century, "embezzle" derives via Middle English from the Anglo-French "embesiller," meaning "to make away," formed from the prefix "en-" and the verb "besiller," meaning "to steal or plunder." Related to "embezzle" is "bezzle," a verb used in some British English dialects to mean "to waste or plunder" or "to drink or eat to excess."