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defalcation

[ dee-fal-key-shuh n, -fawl- ]
/ ˌdi fælˈkeɪ ʃən, -fɔl- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR defalcation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Law.

misappropriation of money or funds held by an official, trustee, or other fiduciary.
the sum misappropriated.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
owl
crow
piranha
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Words related to defalcation

flaw, weakness, failing, imperfection, dearth, paucity, deficiency, insufficiency, incapacity, shortcoming, ineffectiveness, ineptitude, inefficiency, loss, liquidation, disaster, insolvency, default, failure, lack

Words nearby defalcation

def, def., deface, defaecate, defalcate, defalcation, defamation, defamatory, defame, defamiliarization, defang

Origin of defalcation

1425–75; late Middle English: deduction from wages (< Middle French) < Medieval Latin dēfalcātiōn- (stem of dēfalcātiō) a taking away, equivalent to dēfalcāt(us) (see defalcate) + -iōn- -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM defalcation

non·de·fal·ca·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for defalcation