appropriation
noun
ap·pro·pri·a·tion
ə-ˌprō-prē-ˈā-shən 
1
: an act or instance of appropriating something
2
: something that has been appropriated
specifically
: money set aside by formal action for a specific use
the city's appropriation for schools
Examples of appropriation in a Sentence
the appropriation of funds to repair the bridge
The economy has been weakened by the appropriation of the country's resources by corrupt officials.
Recent Examples on the Web
In his pitch for privatization, Allen decries New College’s reliance on state appropriations and claims the school has never been well-suited for the State University System, pointing to its unusually high cost in taxpayer dollars per student.
—
Alice Herman, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
In recent years, it has been funded with a relatively even split of private donations to support its programming, and federal appropriations provided by Congress to support its core operations including the maintenance of the facilities, further underscoring its unique status.
—Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
Congress is expected to vote this week on one of its 12 appropriations bills to fund the government for Fiscal Year 2026 and avoid a shutdown.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Public media had relied on an advanced appropriations cycle, meaning that Congress had already allocated the money through 2027.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for appropriation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alice Herman, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
In recent years, it has been funded with a relatively even split of private donations to support its programming, and federal appropriations provided by Congress to support its core operations including the maintenance of the facilities, further underscoring its unique status.
—Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
Congress is expected to vote this week on one of its 12 appropriations bills to fund the government for Fiscal Year 2026 and avoid a shutdown.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Public media had relied on an advanced appropriations cycle, meaning that Congress had already allocated the money through 2027.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for appropriation
Cite this Entry
“Appropriation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appropriation. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
appropriation
noun
ap·pro·pri·a·tion
ə-ˌprō-prē-ˈā-shən
1
: an act or instance of appropriating
2
: a sum of money appropriated for a specific use
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share