Embezzlement is stealing money you were trusted to look after. Charged with embezzlement, years of embezzlement, embezzlement of funds.
The breach of trust is what makes it more than theft: the money was lawfully in your hands, which is why it is so often committed by long-serving and well-liked employees and why it goes undetected for years. Separating who authorises a payment from who makes it is the standard defence.
1nounembezzlementStealing money you were trusted to look after.
“The treasurer was arrested for embezzlement after thousands went missing from the club's account.”
embezzlement is a crime.
Old French
besillier — to torment, destroy, gouge
Anglo-Norman
embesiler
Middle English
embesilen
English
embezzle
English, today
embezzlement
Built from
From embezzle + -ment. embezzle comes 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