Synonyms

disburse

American

[dis-burs] / dɪsˈbɜrs /

verb (used with object)

to pay out (money), especially for expenses; expend.

Synonyms:

lay out
to distribute or scatter.

Our troops were disbursed over a wide area. She disbursed the flowers to the children.

disburse British

/ dɪsˈbɜːs /

verb

(tr) to pay out

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does disburse mean? Disburse most commonly means to pay out money. Disburse is typically used in the context of finance and business—especially when the exchange of money is formal. The noun form of disburse is disbursement, meaning the act of paying out money, or the payment itself. Disburse can also mean to distribute or scatter, but this sense is much less commonly used. (This sense sounds a lot like and means just about the same thing as disperse.)Example: The staff is upset because payroll hasn’t disbursed paychecks yet due to a clerical error.

Synonym Usage

See spend.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of disburse

First recorded in 1520–30; from Middle French desbourser, Old French desborser, equivalent to des- dis- ¹ + -borser, derivative of borse purse, from Late Latin bursa “bag”

Explanation

If someone wants to disburse funds to you, stick around — it means they're going to give you money! Disburse is a fancy, financial word that is just an official way of saying to pay or give out money. Parents don't disburse allowance money, they give it, and if your friend owes you five bucks, he'll pay you what he owes. On the other hand, lawyers disburse funds from a will. The government disburses money for grants and federal projects. And if you get a mortgage, the bank disburses a check to the seller of the house you bought.

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Vocabulary lists containing disburse

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Good signior, take the stranger to my house, And with you take the chain, and bid my wife Disburse the sum on the receipt thereof: Perchance I will be there as soon as you.

From The Comedy of Errors The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.] by Clark, William George

O Master Goursey, neighbour-amity Is such a jewel of high-reckoned worth, As for the attain of it what would not I Disburse, it is so precious in my thoughts!

From A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 7 by Various

Monthault held out his hand carelessly, and only said, "Disburse."

From The Loyalists, Vol. 1-3 An Historical Novel by West, Jane

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023