peculation
/,pekju'leiʃn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The fraudulent appropriation of funds or property entrusted to one's care but actually owned by someone else: "Peculation" refers to the act of embezzling or misappropriating money or assets that one has been trusted to manage or safeguard.
Usage
- "Peculation" is a formal term, typically used in legal, financial, or official contexts to describe a specific type of theft involving a breach of trust.
- It is often synonymous with embezzlement, though it can have a slightly broader application to property as well as funds.
Examples
- Noun:
- The treasurer was arrested for the peculation of the club's dues.
- An audit revealed years of systematic peculation within the charity.
- The official was charged with peculation of state property.
Advanced Usage
- "to be guilty of peculation": to have committed the crime of embezzlement.
- The former manager was found guilty of peculation.
- "gross peculation": large-scale or blatant embezzlement.
- The investigation uncovered gross peculation that bankrupted the pension fund.
Variants and Related Words
- Peculate (verb): to embezzle or take (money or property) fraudulently.
- He was accused of attempting to peculate public funds.
- Peculator (noun): a person who peculates; an embezzler.
- The peculator had used a complex scheme to hide the theft.
Synonyms
- Embezzlement: Theft or misappropriation of funds placed in one's trust.
- Misappropriation: The dishonest appropriation of funds or assets.
- Defalcation: Formal term for misappropriation of funds, especially by a trustee or official.
- Malversation: Corrupt or fraudulent conduct, especially by someone in public office.
Antonyms
- Restitution: The restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner.
- Integrity: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.
- Fiduciary duty: The legal and ethical obligation to act in the best interest of another party, which peculation violates.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- "To have one's hand in the till": An informal idiom meaning to steal money from the place where one works, closely related to the concept of peculation.
- The company failed because the director had his hand in the till for years.
- "Cooking the books": Falsifying financial records, often to conceal peculation or other fraud.
- The accountant was cooking the books to hide his peculation.
Noun
- the fraudulent appropriation of funds or property entrusted to your care but actually owned by someone else