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misappropriate
verb
mis·ap·pro·pri·ate
ˌmi-sə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt
misappropriated; misappropriating; misappropriates
: to appropriate wrongly (as by theft or embezzlement)
Synonyms
Examples of misappropriate in a Sentence
They accused him of misappropriating town funds.
a financial manager misappropriating funds from her clients' accounts
Recent Examples on the Web
The complaints, which spanned 2009 to 2015, alleged that more than $4.5 billion in funds belonging to 1MDB were misappropriated by the senior officials at the organization and their associates, including Low.
—Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 26 June 2024
He was accused of misappropriating state property, specifically several boulders from outside the State Police Negaunee post that were used to construct a retaining wall at his lakefront property.
—John Wisely, Detroit Free Press, 18 June 2024
During the sentencing hearing, Anderson said that judgment remains unpaid and some of the funds Flores misappropriated remain unaccounted for.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2024
The allegations of drug diversion — a term that refers to misappropriating prescribed medications, sometimes to abuse or illegally sell them — were first reported by NBC affiliate KOBI-TV in Medford in December 2023.
—Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for misappropriate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misappropriate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1825, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near misappropriate
Cite this Entry
“Misappropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misappropriate. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Kids Definition
misappropriate
verb
mis·ap·pro·pri·ate
ˌmis-ə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt
: to appropriate wrongly
especially
: to take dishonestly for one's own use
Legal Definition
misappropriate
transitive verb
mis·ap·pro·pri·ate
ˌmi-sə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt
: to appropriate wrongfully or unlawfully (as by theft or embezzlement)
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