Definition

1. Verb:
   • To peculate means to dishonestly or illegally take or appropriate money or property that has been entrusted to one's care, especially public funds or the assets of an organization, for one's own use. It is a formal term for embezzlement.

Usage and Examples

• Verb:
  • The treasurer was found to have peculated over a million dollars from the pension fund.
  • He was convicted for attempting to peculate the company's charitable donations.

Advanced Usage

• "to peculate from": This construction specifies the source of the embezzled funds.
  • The clerk peculated from the cash register over several months.
• "to be accused of peculating": Used in legal or formal contexts to describe the allegation.
  • The official was accused of peculating state revenues.

Variants and Related Words

• Peculation (noun): The act or crime of peculating; embezzlement.
  • The audit revealed a massive peculation.
• Peculator (noun): A person who peculates; an embezzler.
  • The peculator fled the country before the investigation concluded.

Synonyms

• Embezzle: To steal (money or goods) placed in one's trust or belonging to one's employer.
• Misappropriate: To dishonestly or unfairly take something, especially money, for one's own use.
• Defalcate: (Formal) To misuse funds; to embezzle.

Antonyms

• Reimburse: To repay (money spent).
• Safeguard: To protect from harm or damage.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "To have one's hand in the till": (Idiomatic) To steal money from the place where one works, especially in a position of trust. This is a less formal equivalent.
  • The manager was caught with his hand in the till.

Verb

1. appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use
   • The accountant embezzled thousands of dollars while working for the wealthy family