disbursement
AmericanUsage
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing disbursement
Richard Nixon's "Checkers" Speech (1952)
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List 10
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"Building Design and Construction Handbook," Vocabulary from Section 1
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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.
See Examples For:
Kanin’s attorneys argue the disbursement delay was caused by incomplete records and due diligence concerns — worries further snarled by the so-called slayer statute barring Californians from inheriting from people they have killed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
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
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
The group said it would "use all legal means available" to block any disbursement of company funds based on the agreement if it is finalised without following the required procedures.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
Just those more personal notes which she used formerly to put down in her diary between the entry of a disbursement and a receipt.
From The Woman of Mystery by Maurice Leblanc
Some hospitals that provide emergency medical services but not trauma care, including Catalina Island Health and MLK hospital, are pushing for the county to help them by providing recurring disbursements of Measure B funds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 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
An executor trying to claw back prior disbursements?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2025
From the beginning of the steel campaign, August 1, 1918, until January 31, 1920, the total net disbursements of the National Committee for all purposes, after making deductions for refunds, transfers, etc., amounted to $525,702.72.
From The Great Steel Strike and its Lessons by William Z. Foster
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.
