Standard Lemma guide

embezzler

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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

Pronunciation

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.

  • General-American: /ɛmˈbɛz(ə)lɚ/
  • General-American: /ɪm-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 M B EH1 Z AH0 L ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: EH0 M B EH1 Z L ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who steals money they have been trusted with, especially from one's employer; one who embezzles.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1667, Samuel Pepys, Diary It appears that Hogg is the eeriest rogue, the most observable embezzler, that ever was known.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

someone who violates a trust by taking (money) for his own use

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: defalcator, peculator

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: deceiver, cheat, cheater, trickster, beguiler, slicker, thief, stealer

History

Etymology

From embezzle + -er.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: bedrieër — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Bengali: চাঁদাবাজ (cãdabaj) — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Danish: kassebedrager — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Danish: person, der begår underslæb — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • German: Veruntreuer — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • German: Veruntreuerin — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Irish: cúigleálaí — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Latin: pecūlātor — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Latin: āversor — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Norwegian Bokmål: underslager — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: underslagar — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Portuguese: estelionatário — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Russian: казнокра́д (kaznokrád) — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Russian: растра́тчик (rastrátčik) — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Spanish: malversador — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Spanish: presupuestívoro — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Swahili: tapeli — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Swedish: förskingrare — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Tagalog: manlulustay — one who steals money they have been trusted with
  • Ottoman Turkish: خرسز (hırsız) — one who steals money they have been trusted with