disburse

UK: /dɪsˈbɜː^rs/ US: /dɪsˈbɝs/ ,(dis bûrs′)

Inflections of 'disburse' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

disburses

v 3rd person singular

disbursing

v pres p

disbursed

v past

disbursed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

dis•burse /dɪsˈbɜrs/   v. [~ + object] , -bursed, -burs•ing. 

1. to pay out (money), esp. for expenses;
   expend:
   Salaries are disbursed by the paymaster's office.

dis•burse•ment, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

dis•burse  (dis bûrs′), v.t., -bursed, -burs•ing. 

1. to pay out (money), esp. for expenses;
   expend.
2. to distribute or scatter:
   Our troops were disbursed over a wide area. She disbursed the flowers to the children.

• Late Latin bursa bag
• Middle French desbourser, Old French desborser, equivalent. to des- dis-¹ + -borser, derivative of borse purse
• 1520–30

dis•burs′a•ble, adj. 
dis•burs′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. lay out. See spend. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

disburse / dɪsˈbɜːs/ verb

1. (transitive) to pay out

Etymology: 16th Century: from Old French desborser, from des- dis-¹ + borser to obtain money, from borse bag, from Late Latin bursa

disˈbursable adjective

disˈbursement noun

disˈburser noun

USAGE
Disburse is sometimes wrongly used where disperse is meant: the police used a water cannon to disperse (not disburse) the crowd