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Embezzle vs Larceny - What's the difference?

embezzle | larceny |

As a verb embezzle

is (legal|business) to steal or misappropriate money that one has been trusted with, especially to steal money from the organisation for which one works.

As a noun larceny is

(legal) the unlawful taking of personal property as an attempt to deprive the legal owner of it permanently.

embezzle

English

Verb

(en-verb)
  • (legal, business) To steal or misappropriate money that one has been trusted with, especially to steal money from the organisation for which one works.
  • * 1903, , Twelve Stories and a Dream
    • You waste your education in burglary. You should do one of two things. Either you should forge or you should embezzle'. For my own part, I ' embezzle .
  • * 1861,
    • You let Dunsey have it, sir? And how long have you been so thick with Dunsey that you must collogue with him to embezzle my money?

    Synonyms

    * defalcate * misappropriate * peculate

    Derived terms

    * embezzler * embezzlement

    References

    larceny

    English

    Noun

  • (legal) The unlawful taking of personal property as an attempt to deprive the legal owner of it permanently.
  • (legal) A larcenous act attributable to an individual.
    • That young man already has four assaults, a DUI, and a larceny on his record.

    Derived terms

    * grand larceny * petty larceny

    References