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 are urging all partners, donors... to fast-track the disbursement of those resources."

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

This makes it difficult to calculate how much each World Cup player is getting paid during the tournament, as the exact disbursement breakdown for all 48 soccer federations is not fully known.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026

Gallucci said Congress should expand federal wildfire mitigation but condition the disbursement of funding on responsible management.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

And he shall instruct and direct his Grand Exchequer as to what appropriation and disbursement he shall make of the revenue of the * that comes to his hands.

From Ku Klux Klan Its Origin, Growth and Disbandment by J. C. Lester

Many people ladder their CDs for monthly, quarterly or yearly disbursements so they can continually refill their coffers without having to worry about stock-market volatility.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 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

Loan growth is expected to be primarily driven by non-truck loans, while truck loans should slightly improve on Thailand government’s budget disbursements in 2H, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

A Bill of Costs is an account setting forth the charges and disbursements incurred by a solicitor in the conduct of his client’s business.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7 "Bible" to "Bisectrix" by Various

Related Words

• expenditure
• outlay
• spending