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Embezzling: meaning, definitions and examples

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embezzling

 

[ ɪmˈbɛzəlɪŋ ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

financial crime

Embezzling refers to the act of taking or misappropriating funds entrusted to one's care, often in a professional setting. This illegal act typically involves employees or officials diverting money for their personal gain, exploiting their position of trust. The crime is a form of theft and can lead to severe legal consequences.

Synonyms

defrauding, misappropriating, stealing, thieving

Examples of usage

  • The accountant was caught embezzling company funds.
  • She was charged with embezzling from her employer over several years.
  • Embezzling often goes unnoticed until an audit is performed.
  • After the investigation, it was clear he had been embezzling money.
  • The company suffered greatly due to embezzling by its senior executives.

Translations

Translations of the word "embezzling" in other languages:

🇵🇹 apropriação indébita

🇮🇳 धन की हेराफेरी

🇩🇪 Unterschlagung

🇮🇩 penggelapan

🇺🇦 привласнення

🇵🇱 przywłaszczenie

🇯🇵 横領

🇫🇷 détournement de fonds

🇪🇸 malversación

🇹🇷 zimmet

🇰🇷 횡령

🇸🇦 اختلاس

🇨🇿 zpronevěra

🇸🇰 sprenevera

🇨🇳 挪用

🇸🇮 prikrajanje

🇮🇸 svik

🇰🇿 құқық бұзу

🇬🇪 მოხვეჭა

🇦🇿 məsuliyyətin pozulması

🇲🇽 malversación

Etymology

The term 'embezzling' has its roots in the French word 'embesiller', which means to appropriate wrongly or to misappropriate. It became more prominent in the English language during the late 16th century. The legal frameworks governing embezzlement began to evolve significantly in the 19th century, reflecting the growing complexity of financial crime and corruption in business and government. As economies grew, so did the opportunities for individuals in positions of trust to exploit their power. The term signifies not just the act of theft, but a breach of trust, indicating a deeper societal concern about integrity and accountability.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #31,536 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.