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Glite Dictionary
to malversate

to malversate

9.9
To take money that people trust you to keep and use it for yourself
  • verb
  • NSFW
translation icon : malversar
  • The corrupt official was discovered to have malversated public funds over many years.

Examples

  • Historians revealed that the treasurer had malversated charitable donations.

  • He malversated the funds meant for charity.

  • Anyone who malversates should face strict legal consequences.

  • The accountant malversates regularly without fear.

  • The treasurer malversated millions meant for community projects.

  • After the audit, it was clear that he had malversated funds from the organization.

  • They discovered that she malversated the money that was donated for relief efforts.

Synonyms

to defraud
vsto malversate
  • Formal
40 6.9

To illegally get money or things from someone by lying

is narrower, applying only to funds entrusted to someone's care
to embezzle
vsto malversate
28 8.1

To steal money or things that you were trusted with and use them yourself illegally

is about fraudulently taking entrusted funds rather than general theft
to swindle
vsto malversate
20 5.5

To cheat someone and take their money by lying

is specific to fraudulently taking entrusted property rather than any cheat
to misappropriate
vsto malversate
  • Formal
5 8.4

To take money or things you were trusted with and use them yourself

is specifically about fraudulent appropriation of entrusted items
to defalcate
vsto malversate
  • Formal
9.9

To steal money that was given to you to look after

is the formal legal term for fraudulently taking entrusted funds
to peculate
vsto malversate
  • Formal
9.9

To steal money or property that someone trusted you to keep

is a legal word emphasizing taking from entrusted care

How Dishonest

to embezzle
28 8.1
to malversate
  • NSFW
9.9
to misappropriate
  • Formal
5 8.4
to steal
∞ 1.0
to pilfer
16 6.5

Surface Forms

malversate infinitive
malversated past
malversated past participle
malversating present participle
malversates third person singular

Morphology

malversate = versate (opaque) = mal + versate

The prefix 'mal-' indicates a negative or bad action, but 'versate' is not a standalone English word, making the word's meaning less transparent.

Etymology

Malversate comes from parts meaning 'bad' and 'to turn': mal- is 'bad' and the rest is like the root in reverse. So to malversate money is to 'turn it to bad use', which explains why it means stealing or misusing money given to your care.