disbursement
C1/C2Formal, Business, Financial
Definition
Meaning
The act of paying out money from a fund.
A sum of money paid out, especially from a public or corporate fund; the process of distributing funds.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a formal or official payment, often as part of a larger financial process. Not used for casual, personal spending.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Both varieties share formal, financial connotations.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American legal and business contexts, but common in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
disbursement of [funds, money, loan]disbursement to [recipient, beneficiary]disbursement for [purpose, project]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(no common idioms for this word)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The quarterly disbursement to shareholders was approved by the board.
Academic
The study analysed the efficiency of aid disbursement in developing nations.
Everyday
(Rare in everyday contexts; 'payment' is used instead)
Technical
The smart contract automates the disbursement upon fulfilment of the agreed conditions.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The charity will disburse the funds once the paperwork is complete.
- They disburse grants to small businesses quarterly.
American English
- The bank will disburse the loan after the appraisal.
- The foundation disburses millions in research funding annually.
adverb
British English
- (No direct adverb; use 'in a disbursement' or similar phrasing) Funds were released in a single disbursement.
American English
- (No direct adverb; use 'via disbursement' or similar phrasing) Payment was made via electronic disbursement.
adjective
British English
- (No direct adjective; use 'disbursed' as participial adjective) The disbursed amount was substantial.
American English
- (No direct adjective; use 'disbursed' as participial adjective) The disbursed funds must be accounted for.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- (Too advanced for A2; use 'payment') The payment was late.
- The company made a large payment for the new equipment.
- The final disbursement of the project grant is scheduled for next month.
- Delays in aid disbursement can severely undermine the effectiveness of humanitarian programmes.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DIS-BURSEMENT. 'Burs' relates to purse (money bag). 'Dis-' means out. So, it's money going OUT of the purse.
Conceptual Metaphor
MONEY IS A LIQUID: disbursement is a controlled flow or release of that liquid from a reservoir (the fund).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'распределение' (distribution). Disbursement is specifically about paying *out* money.
- Do not translate as 'расходование' (spending) in casual contexts; it's more formal and procedural.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'disbursement' for personal shopping (e.g., 'I made a disbursement at the supermarket').
- Misspelling as 'disbursal' (less common).
- Confusing with 'reimbursement' (paying back).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the BEST synonym for 'disbursement' in a formal financial report?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a type of payment, but specifically one that is formal, official, and usually comes from an organisation's or project's funds.
It's unusual. The word is typically used for organisations, governments, banks, or legal entities making official payments.
'Disbursement' is paying money out. 'Reimbursement' is paying money back to someone who has already spent it.
In British English: /dɪsˈbɜːsmənt/. In American English: /dɪsˈbɜːrsmənt/. The key difference is the 'r' sound after the vowel in American English.
Explore