Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
The act of cancelling part of a claim by deducting a smaller claim which the claimant owes to the defendant.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Embezzlement.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
the fraudulent appropriation of funds or property entrusted to your care but actually owned by someone else
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: embezzlement, peculation, misapplication, misappropriation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: larceny, theft, thievery, thieving, stealing
Narrower terms: raid, plunderage
noun
the sum of money that is misappropriated
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: sum, sum of money, amount, amount of money
History
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”).
Across languages
4 source translations are retained for this English entry.
