disburse

verb

dis·​burse dis-ˈbərs How to pronounce disburse (audio)
disbursed; disbursing
Synonyms of disbursenext

transitive verb

1
a
: to pay out : expend especially from a fund
disburse money
b
: to make a payment in settlement of
disburse a bill
2
: distribute
disburser noun

Synonyms of disburse

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Examples of disburse in a Sentence

The money will be disbursed on the basis of need. The government has disbursed millions of dollars in foreign aid.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So far, about $147 million of that money has been approved for grants, but only $21 million has been disbursed. — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026 Social Security benefits are typically disbursed to nearly 74 million beneficiaries on Wednesdays, but your exact payment date depends on your birth date. — Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026 In old common law, a testament contained a person’s instructions about how personal property was to be disbursed, while directions about real estate were contained in a will. — Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 That criticism prompted the finance ministry to publish an update earlier this month showing that about $137 million had already been disbursed to three projects. — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disburse

Word History

Etymology

Middle French desbourser, from Old French desborser, from des- dis- + borse purse, from Medieval Latin bursa

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of disburse was in 1530

Rhymes for disburse

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Browse Nearby Words

disbursal
disburse
disbursement
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Cite this Entry

“Disburse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disburse. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

disburse

verb
dis·​burse dis-ˈbərs How to pronounce disburse (audio)
disbursed; disbursing
: to pay out : expend
disburse money
disburser noun
Etymology

from early French desbourser "to pay out money," from des- "out, away" and borse "a purse," from Latin bursa "a small leather bag" — related to purse, reimburse

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