# embezzlement

/ɛmˈbɛzəɫmənt/ (US) · /ɛmbˈɛzəlmənt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/embezzlement
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. financial crime

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

the act of secretly taking money from your employer or an organization when you are the one responsible for it.

For teachers: The fraudulent conversion of property or funds by a person who has been entrusted with them, often involving the manipulation of financial records.

- The accountant was sent to prison for the embezzlement of over one million dollars.
- The internal audit uncovered a sophisticated scheme of embezzlement that had been draining the company's pension fund for nearly a decade.

Usage: Often used as an uncountable noun for the crime itself, but can be countable when referring to specific instances or legal charges.

## 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.