The act or crime of secretly taking money or property that you were responsible for managing. It usually involves businesses, charities, or government funds.
From 'embezzle' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ment.' 'Embezzle' comes from Middle English 'embesilen' (to steal, destroy), with roots in Old French. The legal sense of financial wrongdoing became more precise as banking and corporate systems developed.
Embezzlement is a crime that almost requires paperwork and trust; it barely exists without organized systems. The word reflects how modern crime can be quiet and invisible—just numbers changing in an account. It shows that technology and complexity don’t just create new jobs; they create new ways to cheat.
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