peculate — to steal or misappropriate money or funds entrusted to one's care, especially public funds
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to steal or misappropriate money or funds entrusted to one's care, especially public funds
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpekjəˌleɪt/
Example Sentences
- The charity director was shocked to discover that his trusted assistant had been peculating donations meant for orphans.
- When asked why he peculated the school lunch money, the treasurer replied, 'I thought the students needed to learn about economic hardship firsthand.'
- The mayor's attempt to peculate the city's budget for his daughter's wedding was exposed by a whistleblower.
peculate
VERB[/ˈpekjəˌleɪt/]
to steal or misappropriate money or funds entrusted to one's care, especially public funds
someone stealing or misappropriating money or funds entrusted to one's care, especially public funds
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin peculatus, meaning 'embezzlement of public funds,' derived from peculium meaning 'private property.' The root traces back to pecus meaning 'cattle,' since livestock was the primary measure of wealth in ancient times.
Breakdown
pecul- (private property, from pecus meaning cattle) + -ate (verb suffix meaning 'to do')
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The charity director was shocked to discover that his trusted assistant had been peculating donations meant for orphans.”
“When asked why he peculated the school lunch money, the treasurer replied, 'I thought the students needed to learn about economic hardship firsthand.'”
“The mayor's attempt to peculate the city's budget for his daughter's wedding was exposed by a whistleblower.”
“He thought he could peculate small amounts without anyone noticing, but even mice leave crumbs.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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