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defalcate

[ dih-fal-keyt, -fawl- ]
/ dɪˈfæl keɪt, -ˈfɔl- /
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verb (used without object), de·fal·cat·ed, de·fal·cat·ing.Law.
to be guilty of defalcation.
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Origin of defalcate

1530–40; <Medieval Latin dēfalcātus (past participle of dēfalcāre to cut off), equivalent to dē-de- + falcātus;see falcate

OTHER WORDS FROM defalcate

de·fal·ca·tor, nounun·de·fal·cat·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use defalcate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for defalcate

defalcate
/ (ˈdiːfælˌkeɪt) /

verb
(intr) law to misuse or misappropriate property or funds entrusted to one

Derived forms of defalcate

defalcation, noundefalcator, noun

Word Origin for defalcate

C15: from Medieval Latin dēfalcāre to cut off, from Latin de- + falx sickle
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
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