To embezzle means to secretly steal money or property that you were supposed to be taking care of for someone else. The key to embezzlement is that the person doing it has been trusted with the money or valuables as part of their job or responsibility.

Imagine a school treasurer who collects money for a field trip. If that person takes some of the money for themselves and lies about where it went, that's embezzlement. Or think of a bank employee who has access to customer accounts and secretly transfers small amounts into their own account over time, hoping no one will notice.

Embezzlement is different from regular theft or robbery. A burglar breaks into a place and steals, but an embezzler already has legal access to what they steal. That's what makes it such a serious betrayal: someone trusted them to handle money honestly, and they violated that trust.

People who embezzle often try to hide what they've done by creating fake records or making up excuses for missing money. They might embezzle large amounts all at once, or tiny amounts over many years. Either way, when discovered, embezzlers face serious legal consequences because they've committed both theft and a breach of trust.