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 in direct communication with members, encouraging them to review their policies, staffing, inspection practices, borrower communications, disbursement timelines and determination processes, and escalation procedures,” Gigliotti said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

After the appeal was rejected, Carroll’s lawyers asked the district court to order the immediate disbursement of $5 million in damages, and nearly $800,000 in interest that had accrued since the verdict.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

For example, a loan of $10,000 will have $422.80 deducted, resulting in a net disbursement of $9,577.20.

From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026

Still great care should be taken in availing oneself of their reports, often inflated with imaginary successes to justify the disbursement of the hundreds of thousands of francs that they pocketed.

From History of the Commune of 1871 by P. Lissagary

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

But with the federal shutdown blocking upcoming disbursements of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits — previously known as food stamps — Thompson said she doesn’t know how she’s going to fill her daughter’s bottles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2025

A solid result should help steady sentiment and accelerate IMF disbursements under its $44 billion program, which has become the backbone of Argentina’s financing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025

The total net disbursements made by the National Committee during the organizing period were $73,139.66, which amounts to a small fraction over 29 cents for each of the 250,000 men organized.

From The Great Steel Strike and its Lessons by William Z. Foster

Related Words

• expenditure
• outlay
• spending