disburse

verb

dis·​burse dis-ˈbərs 

disbursed; disbursing

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

• pay
• spend
• give

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

The incoming head of the powerful Department of Homeland Security will take over an agency mired in controversy over immigration enforcement, stuck in a partial shutdown and struggling to disburse disaster relief. —Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026

Billions were disbursed, succession was settled and whatever love might have remained was shattered. —Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026

Donations to foundations increase the amount of money those philanthropic institutions may give away in the future, but that money might not be disbursed anytime soon. —David Campbell, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026

Since 2009, Chinese authorities have disbursed more than $29 billion in tax breaks and subsidies to manufacturers of electric consumer vehicles, according to estimates from MIT Technology Review. —Matthew Chin, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for disburse

• adverse
• averse
• coerce
• disperse
• diverse
• immerse
• inverse
• obverse
• perverse
• rehearse
• reverse
• transverse

Kids Definition

disburse

verb

dis·​burse dis-ˈbərs 

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