disburse
What does "disburse" mean?
To disburse means to pay out money from a fund that has been collected or set aside for a specific purpose. Imagine a large, locked chest or a government treasury; when someone opens it to distribute specific portions of those assets to various people or projects, they are disbursing funds. This word is almost exclusively used in formal, financial, or administrative contexts. You would rarely use it in casual conversation to describe buying groceries or paying a friend back for lunch; instead, it is reserved for official payments, such as a company distributing bonuses or an organization releasing grant money.
"disburse" in conversation
Office meeting
When will the department disburse the travel stipends?
When will the department disburse the travel stipends?
We should be ready to disburse the funds by Friday afternoon.
We should be ready to disburse the funds by Friday afternoon.
Used here to refer to official corporate payment procedures.
Non-profit board meeting
We have enough donations to disburse the aid to the relief centers.
We have enough donations to disburse the aid to the relief centers.
Agreed, let's begin the disbursement process immediately.
Agreed, let's begin the disbursement process immediately.
Commonly paired with 'funds' or 'aid' in administrative settings.
"disburse" in a sentence
The committee will disburse the money to the winners tomorrow.
The committee will disburse the money to the winners tomorrow.
The university is authorized to disburse student loans at the start of the semester.
The university is authorized to disburse student loans at the start of the semester.
Strict regulations govern how the government may disburse public funds to private contractors.
Strict regulations govern how the government may disburse public funds to private contractors.
