What does embezzler mean?
An embezzler is a person who steals money or other property that has been entrusted to their care — most often an employee, treasurer, accountant, or public official who covertly diverts funds for personal gain. Unlike a common thief who takes property outright, an embezzler exploits a position of trust, which is why the word carries a particularly sharp moral charge and appears most often in legal, journalistic, and formal writing. Typical usage includes phrases like 'convicted embezzler' or 'alleged embezzler', and the term frequently features in reports of financial crime within companies, charities, and government offices. The word derives from 'embezzle', which entered English in the early seventeenth century from Anglo-French 'embesiler', ultimately connected to the idea of destroying or making away with something. Knowing this word is useful because it names a specific and consequential category of white-collar wrongdoing with precision.
nounA person who embezzles money or property entrusted to their care, typically an employee or official who secretly misappropriates funds for personal use.
- A person who steals money or property entrusted to their care, especially in an employment or official capacity.
"The bank teller turned out to be an embezzler who had siphoned off nearly a million dollars over a decade."
"Prosecutors described the accountant as one of the most prolific embezzlers in the state's history."
"The charity's treasurer, once trusted by all, was revealed to be an embezzler who had diverted donations into private accounts."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple offenders or to the class of people who commit embezzlement.
"Auditors uncovered a network of embezzlers operating across several branch offices."
The word 'embezzle' likely traces back to the same Old French root as 'besiege' — so an embezzler is, etymologically speaking, someone who 'sits on' the money that isn't theirs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of embezzler
Embezzler derives from the verb 'embezzle', which was formed in English during the early seventeenth century. The verb comes from Anglo-French 'embesiler' (Old French 'embesillier'), meaning to destroy or make away with, whose ultimate origin may lie in Vulgar Latin roots related to the Gothic 'skatjan' or Latin 'bisilliare'. A related Old French form gave rise to 'besiege', suggesting a shared Germanic root behind both words. The agent noun suffix '-er' simply denotes a person who performs the action, making 'embezzler' a straightforward derivative of the verb it accompanies.
How embezzler is actually used
The term carries strong legal and moral connotation and is generally used in formal, journalistic, or legal contexts rather than casual speech. It implies a breach of trust, distinguishing it from ordinary theft.
Easily confused with embezzler
An embezzler steals money already entrusted to them, while a swindler obtains money through deceitful schemes such as fraud or cons.