embezzlement
CulturalExplanation
If you are glee club treasurer, and you pocket twenty glee dollars saying you used it to buy lozenges, you are committing embezzlement, the theft of money or property that you officially manage. In order for stealing to be embezzlement, you need to both be in charge of the funds or property you are stealing, and you need to conceal your theft. Because of this, it is classified as a type of fraud. People who commit embezzlement often create fake paper trails — receipts, canceled checks, false signatures — to hide their crime.
Vocabulary lists containing embezzlement
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 24–April 30, 2021
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 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.
A longtime investor in the country, Michael Calvey, was targeted in an embezzlement case.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Gox, he was acquitted of embezzlement by a Japanese court but found guilty of falsifying data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
In April 2026, a court in Shenzhen said Xu had pleaded guilty and "expressed remorse" for crimes including fraud, embezzlement and bribery.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
An SNP spokesperson said: "The criminal actions of Peter Murrell were uncovered by a complex and extensive police investigation which found the SNP was the victim of embezzlement."
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
“Federal authorities are looking for this woman. Her name is Julie Callahan, and she’s a local businesswoman here in Chicago. She’s accused of embezzlement, Mariah. Can you believe that?”
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
