disbursement

7 synonyms and 2 antonyms for disbursement, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The paying out of money from a fund or account, especially a formal or scheduled payment such as a loan, grant or dividend.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

payment expense

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

payout expenditure

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

outlay disbursal spending

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

The paying out of money from a fund or account, especially a formal or scheduled payment such as a loan, grant or dividend.

“The first disbursement of the student loan lands a week after enrolment.”

payment payout outlay expenditure disbursal expense spending

Opposites

receipt collection

2. noun

An expense a professional pays on a client's behalf and later bills back, such as a court fee, search fee or courier charge.

“The invoice lists our fee of £900 plus disbursements of £145.”

expense outlay

How to use disbursement

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

loan disbursement disbursement schedule fees and disbursements first disbursement

Formal; standard in finance, law, accounting and public administration.

Etymology

From Old French desbourser 'to pay out', formed from des- 'out of' and bourse 'purse'.

Full origin of disbursement →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a disbursement and a payment?

Every disbursement is a payment, but the word implies money leaving an organised fund on defined terms — a loan tranche, a grant instalment, a trustee's distribution. A payment is any transfer of money at all, including buying a coffee.

What are disbursements on a solicitor's bill?

They are costs the firm has paid to third parties for you, such as land registry fees, stamp duty, searches or expert reports. They are listed separately from the firm's own fees because the firm is passing them on rather than charging for its time.

How is disbursement spelt?

With an s in the middle: disbursement, from bourse meaning purse. Disbursment and disbursment are misspellings, and it should not be confused with dispersement, which is not a standard word.

People also searched

collection payment expense expenditure receipt payout spending outlay

Nearby words

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