PoliticsSeptember 1, 2026

embezzlement

em-BEZ-uhl-muhnt

Definition

The act of dishonestly taking or misappropriating money or property that one has been entrusted with in a position of authority or employment.

Etymology

Derived from the Anglo-Norman 'embesiler', meaning to remove or make away with, which likely evolved from the Old French 'besillier', meaning to ravage or destroy.

In the news

The article mentions that Marine Le Pen was previously convicted of embezzlement, which resulted in a legal ban on her seeking office that was later shortened by an appeals court.

The election campaign to replace Macron in France is heating up as the summer vacation season ends

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