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
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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.
Hui Ka Yan, the founder of embattled Chinese property developer Evergrande, has pleaded guilty to a number of charges including embezzlement of corporate assets and corporate bribery, according to a statement issued by the court.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Mayor of Turkey's largest and richest city until his arrest, Imamoglu is facing allegations ranging from graft to embezzlement and espionage, alongside 407 other defendants, in an indictment that runs nearly 4,000 pages.
From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026
Murrell is yet to make a plea on the embezzlement charge.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026
For more than a decade, he exposed alleged corruption and embezzlement among senior Russian officials.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 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.
