defalcation

D2E1F4A1L1C3A1T1I1O1N1
UK[ˌdɛfəɫˈkeɪʃən]

noun

The act of cancelling part of a claim by deducting a smaller claim which the claimant owes to the defendant.

Similar
embezzlementpeculationmisapplicationmisappropriation
OriginMedieval Latin dēfalcātiōnem ← Latin dē →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

noundefalcation (countable and uncountable, plural defalcations)

plural defalcations

  1. countableuncountablelawThe act of cancelling part of a claim by deducting a smaller claim which the claimant owes to the defendant.
  2. countableuncountableEmbezzlement.

    Assassination is pointless. Leningrad would quickly cover up his defalcations and make him into a martyr.

    1953, Ian Fleming, “Dossier for M”, in Casino Royale, London: Pan Books, published 1955, page 19
    2 more examples

    Granting that Mr. Ireland had gone into his office at ten minutes to ten o'clock at night for the purpose of extracting £5000 worth of notes and gold from the bank safe, whilst giving the theft the appearance of a night burglary; […] why should he, at nine o'clock the following morning, fall in a dead faint and get cerebral congestion at sight of a defalcation he knew had occurred?

    1909, Emma Orczy, chapter XIX, in The Old Man in the Corner

    “Why should Eldridge commit murder?[…]There was only one possible motive—namely, he wished to avoid detection as James Selby of Anaconda Ltd. He had settled down in Estrepps. There were several persons in the town who had suffered from his defalcations.[…]”

    1931, Francis Beeding, “10/6”, in Death Walks in Eastrepps

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe fraudulent appropriation of funds or property entrusted to your care but actually owned by someone else

Similar
embezzlementpeculationmisapplicationmisappropriation
Broader
larcenytheftthievery
Also see
embezzlementmisapplicationmisappropriationpeculation

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latindē“off”
  2. Medieval Latindēfalcātiōnem
  3. Englishdefalcation

Late 15th century, from Medieval Latin dēfalcātiōnem, accusative singular of dēfalcātiō (literally “cutting off, lopping off with a sickle”), nominalization of dēfalcō, from Latin dē (“off”) + falx (“sickle, scythe, pruning hook”), from which also English falcate (“sickle-shaped”). By surface analysis, defalcate + -ion (“the act of”).

More words from Medieval Latin, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian наче́т
  • наче́т (načét)embezzlement
German Veruntreuung, Unterschlagung
  • Veruntreuungembezzlement
  • Unterschlagungembezzlement
Spanish desfalco
  • desfalcoembezzlement

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

dentofacial
Cite this entry
APA

defalcation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defalcation

MLA

“defalcation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defalcation. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “defalcation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defalcation.

Source: defalcation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.