/ ɪmˈbezl; NAmE / verb
to steal money that you are responsible for or that belongs to your employer :
[ vn ]
He was found guilty of embezzling $150 000 of public funds.
[also v ]
► em·bezzle·ment noun [ U ]:
She was found guilty of embezzlement.
► em·bez·zler / ɪmˈbezlə(r); NAmE / noun
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense steal ): from Anglo-Norman French embesiler , from besiler in the same sense (compare with Old French besillier maltreat, ravage), of unknown ultimate origin. The current sense dates from the late 16th cent.