misappropriate

verb

mis·​ap·​pro·​pri·​ate ˌmi-sə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt How to pronounce misappropriate (audio)
misappropriated; misappropriating; misappropriates

transitive verb

: to appropriate wrongly (as by theft or embezzlement)
misappropriation noun

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 Two former staffers who worked for ex-House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, face embezzlement and other criminal charges on accusations of misappropriating funds from multiple entities, including social welfare nonprofits and campaign committees. Detroit Free Press, 21 Feb. 2024 An accounting firm hired by Epik to conduct a forensic investigation alleged that Monster had misappropriated more than $3.5 million, according to an internal preliminary report obtained by WIRED. William Turton, WIRED, 8 Feb. 2024 Shortly after a Broward court said a Fort Lauderdale lawyer owed a former client $234,000, a Florida Bar audit said that attorney misappropriated $452,000 from another client’s estate. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2024 In the civil lawsuit Ozy filed in December, Ozy accused Smith of willfully misappropriating Ozy Media’s trade secrets to launch his own media company. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2024 The attorney general is suing the NRA, which is registered in New York as a non-profit charitable corporation, and its senior management for misappropriating millions of dollars to fund personal benefits, including private jets, family vacations and luxury goods. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 6 Jan. 2024 The class solidarity between Atlanta’s political elite and entertainment industry exemplifies the danger of misappropriating Black culture to co-opt and chill Black political dissent. Essence, 10 Jan. 2024 The Cisneros campaign filed a Federal Election Commission complaint last month saying Rubio misappropriated state funds on a pamphlet that directed Baldwin Park constituents to her congressional campaign website. Anabel Sosa, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2023 The State Bar of California recommended that a Redondo Beach City Council member be suspended from practicing law for two years for misappropriating half a million dollars in client funds and misrepresenting what happened to the money. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2023

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of misappropriate was in 1825

Dictionary Entries Near misappropriate

Cite this Entry

“Misappropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misappropriate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

misappropriate

verb
mis·​ap·​pro·​pri·​ate ˌmis-ə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt How to pronounce misappropriate (audio)
: to appropriate wrongly
especially : to take dishonestly for one's own use
misappropriation noun

Legal Definition

misappropriate

transitive verb
mis·​ap·​pro·​pri·​ate ˌmi-sə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt How to pronounce misappropriate (audio)
: to appropriate wrongfully or unlawfully (as by theft or embezzlement)
misappropriation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on misappropriate

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