disbursement

American  

[dis-burs-muhnt] / dɪsˈbɜrs mənt /

noun

• disbursements
  plural

1. the act or an instance of disbursing.

2. money paid out or spent.

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Usage

What does disbursement mean? Disbursement is the act of paying out money, or the payment itself. Because the meaning of disbursement focuses on money and payment, the word is almost exclusively used in financial and business spheres—especially when the exchange of money is formal. Example: The disbursement of paychecks was delayed due to a clerical error, causing much grumbling among the staff.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondisbursement
  noun
• redisbursement
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• disbursements
  plural

Etymology

Origin of disbursement

From the Middle French word desboursement, dating back to 1590–1600. See disburse, -ment

Explanation

Disbursement means the payment of money from a fund or account. If the disbursement of paychecks at your job was delayed because your boss forgot to fill out some paperwork, you'd probably be furious. Disbursement is a noun that describes the spending or distributing of money. Governments manage the disbursement of funds to various departments and groups. The word disbursement comes from the Old French word desbourser, "extract money from a purse," with bourse meaning "purse." Don't confuse disbursement with dispersement, which means "separating or scattering."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disbursement disbursements

In January 2025, the OMB released a memo that ordered all federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.”

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

“We remain committed to helping facilitate the timely disbursement of insurance proceeds as requirements are met.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

The group vowed to "use all legal means available" to "block any company fund disbursement" based on the deal if it is concluded by "bypassing" these required procedures.

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

There’s also a 4.228% origination fee for these loans, which is deducted proportionately from each loan disbursement.

From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026

The treasury was to be at Washington, with branches or sub-treasuries at the principal points of collection and disbursement.

From Thomas Hart Benton by Theodore Roosevelt

The money would consist primarily of disbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency flagged for communities hit by the fires, part of a $33.9-billion wildfire relief funding request made by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

Outside of monetary policy, inflation impacts mortgage rates for homeowners, eligibility for school lunch subsidies, Social Security disbursements, and more.

From Slate ● Apr. 24, 2026

In some cases this will involve adjusting existing loan programs, including by accelerating disbursements or providing additional financing.

From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026

This is unprecedented—and different from the administration’s moves to pause grant disbursements to high-fraud states.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026

He established it, that the head of every subordinate department be responsible for its disbursements.

From The Brothers' War by John Calvin Reed

Related Words

• expenditure
• outlay
• spending