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Disperse vs Disburse - What's the difference?

disperse | disburse |

As verbs the difference between disperse and disburse

is that disperse is to scatter in different directions while disburse is to pay out, expend; usually from a public fund or treasury.

disperse

English

Verb

  • (intransitive) To scatter in different directions
  • The Jews are dispersed among all nations.
  • * Bible, Proverbs xv. 7
  • The lips of the wise disperse knowledge.
  • * Cowper
  • Two lions, in the still, dark night, / A herd of beeves disperse .
  • (intransitive) To break up and disappear; to dissipate
  • (intransitive) To disseminate
  • (physics, transitive, intransitive) To separate rays of light etc. according to wavelength; to refract
  • (intransitive) To distribute throughout
  • Usage notes

    * Do not confuse with the monetary word disburse, despite similarity.

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    disburse

    English

    Verb

    (disburs)
  • (finance) To pay out, expend; usually from a public fund or treasury.
  • Usage notes

    * Do not confuse with the scattering word disperse, despite similarity.

    Synonyms

    (to pay out) shell out (informal), cough up (informal), fork out (informal), fork over (informal)

    Derived terms

    * disbursement