Word
embezzlement
Phoneticsem·bez·zle·ment
US/ɛmˈbɛzəɫmənt/
UK/ɛmbˈɛzəlmənt/
Definition
n. the act of secretly taking money from your employer or an organization when you are the one responsible for it.
n. The fraudulent conversion of property or funds by a person who has been entrusted with them, often involving the manipulation of financial records.
Examples
“The accountant was arrested for embezzlement after the audit.”
“The non-profit organization collapsed after a senior director was found guilty of embezzlement over a five-year period.”
“While simple theft involves taking property from another, embezzlement is distinguished by the fact that the perpetrator initially had legal possession of the assets through their professional role.”
Examples
simple
“The accountant was arrested for embezzlement after the audit.”
contextual
“The non-profit organization collapsed after a senior director was found guilty of embezzlement over a five-year period.”
complex
“While simple theft involves taking property from another, embezzlement is distinguished by the fact that the perpetrator initially had legal possession of the assets through their professional role.”
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun for the crime itself, but can be countable when referring to specific instances or legal charges.
Pitfall
He was arrested for the embezzlement of the bank.
He was arrested for embezzlement from the bank.
You embezzle money 'from' an institution; you do not embezzle the institution itself.
Real-World Examples
“Hui Ka Yan pleaded guilty in April to several charges, including embezzlement of assets and corporate bribery.” “The police are also investigating eleven others for crimes including fraud, document forgery, identity theft, embezzlement, money laundering, and belonging to a criminal organisation.” Etymology
From embezzle + -ment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.