Other forms: embezzling, embezzled, embezzles
To embezzle is to steal money that was placed in your care. Embezzle the funds, embezzled from the charity, charged with embezzling.
The trust is what makes it a separate offence from theft, since an embezzler was given the money lawfully and then took it. It is nearly always discovered by an audit or by an absence, since the scheme needs constant tending.
1verbembezzleTo steal money that was placed in your care.
“The accountant embezzled thousands from the charity over ten years.”
embezzle is a stealing.
Anglo-Norman embesiler means to make away with, of uncertain further origin.
Old French
besillier — to torment, destroy, gouge
Anglo-Norman
embesiler
Middle English
embesilen
English, today
embezzle
Built from
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.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA