defalcation

Meaning

Noun

• The act of cancelling part of a claim by deducting a smaller claim which the claimant owes to the defendant.
• embezzlement

Origin

• Late 15th century, from Medieval Latin dēfalcātiōnem, accusative singular of dēfalcātiō, nominalization of dēfalcō, from Latin dē ("off") + falx, from which also English falcate.
• Surface analysis is defalcate + -ion.