Disburse Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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disburse

[dɪsˈbɜːs ]

Definition

Context #1 | Verb

financial

To pay out money from a fund. To distribute money or resources.

Synonyms

allocate, distribute, pay out.

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Word Description / Examples
disburse

Used in formal settings, especially in financial or institutional contexts, to describe the process of giving out funds or resources from a specific source.

  • The treasurer is responsible for disbursing the funds to various departments
  • The grant money will be disbursed over three years
distribute

Often used in general contexts to describe the act of giving out items, information, or resources to a group of people or places.

  • The company will distribute free samples at the event
  • They distributed the flyers throughout the neighborhood
pay out

Used primarily in informal or everyday contexts to describe the act of giving money to someone, especially from a fund or for a specific purpose.

  • The insurance company will pay out the claim soon
  • He had to pay out a lot of money for his car repairs
allocate

Commonly used in administrative, business, or planning contexts to describe the distribution or assignment of resources, tasks, or responsibilities.

  • We need to allocate more funds to the marketing department
  • The project manager will allocate tasks among the team members

Examples of usage

  • The company will disburse bonuses to its employees next month.
  • The government disburses funds for various social programs.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Origin of 'disburse'

The word 'disburse' originated from the Old French word 'desbourser', which means 'to remove a burden'. It entered the English language in the late 16th century. The prefix 'dis-' indicates the reversal of a previous action, while 'burse' comes from the Latin 'bursa', meaning 'purse' or 'bag'. Therefore, 'disburse' originally referred to the act of emptying or removing something from a purse or bag, eventually evolving to its current financial meaning.


Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #23,305, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.