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:
A House disbursement report shows Suozzi paying $800 per month for lodging starting in March 2024.
From Salon ● May 29, 2026
The group vowed to "use all legal means available" to "block any company fund disbursement" based on the deal if it is concluded by "bypassing" these required procedures.
From Barron's ● May 21, 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
Gallucci said Congress should expand federal wildfire mitigation but condition the disbursement of funding on responsible management.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
The Bewdley chapel-wardens’ accounts for the year 1572, includes a disbursement as follows: “Paid unto the quenes plaiers in the church 6s. 8d.”
From Old Church Lore by Andrews, William
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
The city disbursements detailed in the housing department’s report include $44 million toward a 100-unit housing project near Crypto.com Arena.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 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
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 of the National Committee during the strike period were $452,563.06, or $1.81 for each of the 250,000 average strikers.
From The Great Steel Strike and its Lessons by Foster, William Z.
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.
