malversar

Malversar is a Spanish verb that means to embezzle or to misappropriate funds or assets, especially those entrusted to someone in an official capacity.

Meaning:

• To illegally take or misuse funds that have been entrusted to a person, typically in a position of responsibility, such as a public official, employee, or trustee.
• It implies an abuse of trust and a violation of financial duties.

Parts of the word:

• Mal-: A prefix meaning "bad" or "wrong."
• Versar: Coming from "versar," meaning "to deal with" or "to turn around" (in a figurative sense, means "to handle" or "to manage").

Together, malversar literally implies managing ("versar") poorly or wrongly ("mal-").

Synonyms:

• Embezzle
• Defraud
• Misappropriate
• Misuse

Antonyms:

• Administrar correctamente (to manage correctly)
• Custodiar (to safeguard)
• Conservar (to preserve)

Usage:

• El funcionario fue acusado de malversar los fondos públicos.
  (The official was accused of embezzling public funds.)

In conclusion, malversar specifically refers to the wrongful or illegal use of money or assets entrusted to someone.