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

Of course, the federal government was disbursing billions in COVID-19 aid to states during 2022, the flow of which has dried up as governments face sober fiscal realities. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026

The Joyce Foundation is also partnering with United States Artists (USA), one of the top artists grants administrators in the country, to disburse the funds. —Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026

The loan was approved and, again, disbursed into the company's bank account. —Nick Lentz, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026

The agency has to approve the review before funding is disbursed and work can start. —Lauren Sommer, NPR, 10 Apr. 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