disburse
Americanverb (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.
verb
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.
Related Words
See spend.
Other Word Forms
- disbursable adjective
- disbursement noun
- disburser noun
- nondisbursable adjective
- nondisbursed adjective
- redisburse verb (used with object)
- undisbursed adjective
- well-disbursed adjective
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”
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.
The philanthropy has disbursed tens of millions of dollars to support businesses that help reduce carbon emissions as well as to fund climate initiatives.
"The Commission may not disburse EU funds to a member state until the required legislative reforms are in force and are effectively being applied," a court statement said.
From Barron's
Now that the home has been sold and the proceeds disbursed, will there be a problem presenting this will when beginning probate in Florida?
From MarketWatch
Toronto-based trade lawyer Mark Warner said he’s skeptical the government can recover the funds disbursed to the North American automakers, in part because of the way the loans and payouts are structured.
The money also is disbursed by other branches of the military and departments of the government, which do not take stakes in the companies.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
