disbursement

noun

dis·​burse·​ment dis-ˈbərs-mənt How to pronounce disbursement (audio)
: the act of paying out money especially from a fund : the act of disbursing
the disbursement of government funds
also : funds paid out
received monthly disbursements

Did you know?

Disbursement was minted in English in the late 16th century by melding the noun suffix -ment with the verb disburse. Disburse is a borrowing of the Middle French desbourser, which traces back to the Old French desborser, a combination of the negating prefix des- (equivalent to the English dis-) and borse, which, like its English cognate purse, ultimately traces back to the Medieval Latin bursa, meaning "money bag" and, in earlier Latin usage, "oxhide." During the 16th and 17th centuries, deburse, depurse, and dispurse were deposited in the English language bank as synonyms of disburse. Deburse and depurse were also used respectively to form debursement and depursement—but these synonyms of disburse and disbursement all quickly declined in value and were never redeemed.

Examples of disbursement in a Sentence

substantial disbursements for research and development the disbursement of the foundation's funds to several cancer research centers
Recent Examples on the Web But the State Department has faced opposition from skeptical Republican lawmakers in Congress who have blocked the disbursement of a $50 million request to help get the mission going. Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 That amount of forfeiture makes the office practically self-funding since its annual disbursements are $1.4 million a year. Andrew Wimer, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 False tax documents were also submitted to inflate monthly payroll disbursements. Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2024 The loans qualified for full loan forgiveness if, during the covered period following the loan disbursement, the business maintained employee and compensation levels, and the loan proceeds were spent on payroll costs and other eligible expenses. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 She was approved for a close to $2 million disbursement. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2024 The next disbursement of payments to Alaskans who qualify for the annual one-time payment is in less than two weeks. Jack Birle, Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2024 For chipmakers, the disbursements will help cushion the financial impact of building facilities that can cost as much as $30 billion and yet be obsolete within a decade. Ian King, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2024 The first disbursements were made in December of 2018, funded by a grant from the Economic Security Project. Kimanzi Constable, Parents, 22 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disbursement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

disburse + -ment, perhaps after Middle French desboursement

First Known Use

circa 1599, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disbursement was circa 1599

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Dictionary Entries Near disbursement

Cite this Entry

“Disbursement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disbursement. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disbursement

noun
dis·​burse·​ment dis-ˈbər-smənt How to pronounce disbursement (audio)
: the act of disbursing
also : funds paid out

More from Merriam-Webster on disbursement

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