embezzlement

embezzlement — noun

1. the crime of illegally taking money or property that someone trusted you to look

1.名詞C1
釋義

the crime of illegally taking money or property that someone trusted you to look after as part of your job

例句

The finance director was found guilty of embezzlement and sent to prison.

passive: found guilty of embezzlement

Embezzlement often goes unnoticed for years when one person controls the accounts alone.

collocation: go unnoticed for years

同義詞
  • misappropriation

    more formal legal term; often used for public funds or institutional money, sometimes without the criminal charge implied by embezzlement

  • fraud

    broader term covering any deception for financial gain — embezzlement is one type of fraud that involves a trusted position

  • theft

    general word for taking property that belongs to someone else; embezzlement is a specific kind of theft where the person had permission to handle the money

文法句型

embezzlement of [money/assets]

charge with embezzlement

guilty of embezzlement

用法筆記

Common in legal and financial reporting. The term always implies that the person had lawful access to the money through their position but used it for personal gain — it is not used for theft by outsiders who break in.

常見錯誤

❌The thief who stole her wallet was guilty of embezzlement.
✅The thief who stole her wallet was guilty of theft.
💡embezzlement is a specific type of theft committed by someone who was trusted with the money or property, not by a stranger.