Meanings
plural embezzlers
- One who steals money they have been trusted with, especially from one's employer; one who embezzles.
1667, Samuel Pepys, Diary It appears that Hogg is the eeriest rogue, the most observable embezzler, that ever was known.
3 more examples
At the time, I was deeply involved with the handsome embezzler who led a major telecom company into bankruptcy.
2003, Will and Grace (TV, episode 5.23)That word is bezzle. It describes the period in which an embezzler has stolen a man's money but the victim does not yet realize he's been swindled.
2015 December 3, Tracy Alloway, “There's Been a Bezzle-Fueled Boom in Bonds”, in Markets, Bloomberg News, retrieved 16 Aug 2021There’s good reason to worry. In an earlier memoir, “Five-Finger Discount,” Stapinski recreated the terrifying world of swindlers, embezzlers, burglars and mobster wannabes who made up her extended Jersey City family.
2017 June 23, Max Byrd, “A Trip to Southern Italy to Shed Light on a Family Scandal”, in The New York TimesSynonyms: peculator
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne who steals money they have been trusted with, especially from one's employer; one who embezzles.
More synonyms by meaning
nounsomeone who violates a trust by taking (money) for their own use
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Afrikaans bedrieër
- bedrieërone who steals money they have been trusted with
Bengali চাঁদাবাজ
- চাঁদাবাজ (cãdabaj)one who steals money they have been trusted with
Danish kassebedrager, person, der begår underslæb
- kassebedragerone who steals money they have been trusted with
- person, der begår underslæbone who steals money they have been trusted with
German Veruntreuer, Veruntreuerin
- Veruntreuerone who steals money they have been trusted with
- Veruntreuerinone who steals money they have been trusted with
Irish cúigleálaí
- cúigleálaíone who steals money they have been trusted with
Latin pecūlātor, āversor
- pecūlātorone who steals money they have been trusted with
- āversorone who steals money they have been trusted with
Norwegian Bokmål underslager
- underslagerone who steals money they have been trusted with
Portuguese estelionatário
- estelionatárioone who steals money they have been trusted with
Russian казнокра́д, растра́тчик
- казнокра́д (kaznokrád)one who steals money they have been trusted with
- растра́тчик (rastrátčik)one who steals money they have been trusted with
Spanish malversador, presupuestívoro
- malversadorone who steals money they have been trusted with
- presupuestívoroone who steals money they have been trusted with
Swahili tapeli
- tapelione who steals money they have been trusted with
Swedish förskingrare
- förskingrareone who steals money they have been trusted with
Tagalog manlulustay
- manlulustayone who steals money they have been trusted with
Cite this entry
embezzler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embezzler
“embezzler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embezzler. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “embezzler,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embezzler.
Source: embezzler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.