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 Office of Attorney General should utilize better software to manage collection of more funds and to disburse those funds more timely. —Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026

That’s why federal funds should be disbursed more strategically. —Neetu Arnold, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026

Meanwhile, however, the workers were still not back on the job Monday morning since the money to pay them still hasn't been disbursed. —Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026

Town workers, who’ve already been trying to help other Concierge tenants without hot water or heat, scrambled to line up more than 140 hotel rooms for the JRK’s management company to disburse. —Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 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