Tom pleaded guilty to embezzlement.
Source: tatoeba (5729001)
Embezzlement
/ˌɪmˈbɛzəlmənt/
Synonyms for "embezzlement" (74 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (15)
Noun(3 words)
abstractionabuseabuse of officeannexationappropriationbefoulmentboostingconversionconveyancecorrupt administrationdebasementdefalcation
Strong matches (22)
Noun(4 words)
Related words (37)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: misappropriation, abstraction, abuse, abuse of office, annexation.
- Sentence evidence is available for embezzlement, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "embezzlement".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "embezzlement"
Keep "embezzlement" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "embezzlement" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "embezzlement", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "embezzlement" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
5 entriescash skimmingexpense reimbursement fraudfund diversionpayroll fraudpension embezzlement
Collocations
5 entriesembezzlement caseembezzlement chargesembezzlement investigationembezzlement recordsembezzlement scheme
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
61 translations across 35 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- اِخْتِلَاس noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Bulgarian
2 entries- злоупотреба noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- присвояване noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Catalan
1 entries- malversació noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Chinese Mandarin
3 entries- 侵佔 /侵占 noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- 侵吞 noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- 盜用 /盗用 noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Czech
2 entries- defraudace noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- zpronevěra noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Danish
1 entries- underslæb noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Dutch
2 entries- verduistering noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- zwendel noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Esperanto
1 entries- malversacio noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Finnish
1 entries- kavallus noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
French
1 entries- détournement noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Georgian
2 entries- გაფლანგვა noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- მიტაცება noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
German
1 entries- Unterschlagung noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Greek
1 entries- υπεξαίρεση noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Hindi
1 entries- ग़बन noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Hungarian
2 entries- hűtlen kezelés noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- sikkasztás noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Icelandic
1 entries- fjárdráttur noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Indonesian
1 entries- penggelapan noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Irish
1 entries- cúigleáil noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Italian
2 entries- appropriazione indebita noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- peculato noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Japanese
2 entries- 横領 noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- 猫糞 noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Korean
1 entries- 횡령 noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Latin
1 entries- pecūlātus noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Lithuanian
1 entries- grobstymas noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Macedonian
1 entries- проневера noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Norwegian
1 entries- underslag noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Persian
1 entries- اختلاس noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Polish
3 entries- defraudacja noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- malwersacja noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- sprzeniewierzenie noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Portuguese
4 entries- desfalque noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- estelionato noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- fraude noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- peculato noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Russian
3 entries- присвое́ние noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- растра́та noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- хище́ние noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- prȍnevera noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- prȍnevjera noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- про̏невера noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- про̏невјера noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Spanish
4 entries- apropiación indebida noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- desfalco noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- malversación noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- peculado noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Swedish
1 entries- förskingring noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Tagalog
2 entries- paglustay noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- panlulustay noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Thai
1 entries- การยักยอก noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Turkish
4 entries- aşırtı noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- hortumculuk noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- ihtilas noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
- yolsuzluk noun (the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner)
Sample sentences
15 total sentences available.
Sami got busted for embezzlement.
Source: tatoeba (6079533)
The bookkeeper was arrested last night for embezzlement.
Source: tatoeba (6574006)
The bookkeeper was arrested for embezzlement.
Source: tatoeba (6629717)
Showing 4 of 15 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "embezzlement"?
Closest matches include misappropriation, abstraction, abuse, abuse of office, annexation.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "embezzlement"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.