different between embezzle vs misappropriate

English

Etymology

From Middle English embesilen, from Anglo-Norman embesiler, embesillier, embeseillier (“to steal, cause to disappear”), from em- + Old French besillier (“to torment, destroy, gouge”), of unknown origin.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?m?b?z?l/
• Rhymes: -?z?l

Verb

embezzle (third-person singular simple present embezzles, present participle embezzling, simple past and past participle embezzled)

1. (law, business) To steal or misappropriate money that one has been trusted with, especially to steal money from the organisation for which one works.
   • 1903, H.G. Wells, Twelve Stories and a Dream

     You waste your education in burglary. You should do one of two things. Either you should forge or you should embezzle. For my own part, I embezzle.

   • 1861, George Eliot, Silas Marner

     You let Dunsey have it, sir? And how long have you been so thick with Dunsey that you must collogue with him to embezzle my money?

Synonyms

• defalcate
• have one's hand in the till
• misappropriate
• peculate

Derived terms

• embezzler
• embezzlement

Translations

References

English

Etymology

mis- +? appropriate

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?m?s.??p???.p??.e?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?m?s.??p?o?.p?i.e?t/

Verb

misappropriate (third-person singular simple present misappropriates, present participle misappropriating, simple past and past participle misappropriated)

1. (transitive) To take something for wrong or illegal purposes.
2. (transitive) To embezzle.

   The accountant was found to have misappropriated funds over a period of three years.

Synonyms

• (take for wrong purposes): misuse
• (embezzle): defalcate, embezzle, peculate

Derived terms

• misappropriation

Translations