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.
The organization disburses the funds as grants for projects, including trail maintenance, emergency first responder training and equipment, avalanche forecasting and more, according to its website. — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 8 Oct. 2026 When will the payments go out and how will they be disbursed? — Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026 Grant money will be disbursed annually through partners in each borough, who will then distribute the funds to artists, collectives, and small nonprofits. — News Desk, Artforum, 5 Oct. 2026 In addition, your loans must have been disbursed on or after July 1, 2012, Kantrowitz said. — Annie Nova, CNBC, 29 Sep. 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 14 Oct. 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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