embezzle

/ɪmˈbɛzəl/

/ɪmˈbɛzəl/

Other forms: embezzled; embezzling; embezzles

When a person embezzles, it usually means that he is stealing money from his employer. If he is caught embezzling, it probably also means that he will soon be unemployed.

The word embezzle implies more than simply "to steal." When a person embezzles, he or she takes advantage of an employer's trust for personal gain. Embezzling is a so-called "white-collar crime" which often involves some sort of cover-up, like falsifying financial records or stealing small amounts of money over a long period of time. The word embezzle comes from an Old French word meaning "maltreat or ravage," besillier, and an embezzler can be said to ravage someone else's money.

Definitions of embezzle

1. verb

   appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use
   “The accountant embezzled thousands of dollars while working for the wealthy family”

   synonyms: defalcate, malversate, misappropriate, peculate

   types:

   fiddle

   commit fraud and steal from one's employer

   type of:

   steal

   take without the owner's consent