misappropriate
verb
mis·ap·pro·pri·ate
ˌmi-sə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt 
misappropriated; misappropriating; misappropriates
: to appropriate wrongly (as by theft or embezzlement)
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
Following a federal investigation and an internal CBS probe, Davis was dismissed for misappropriating $94,000 from the label — money used in part to pay for his son’s bar mitzvah and family vacations.
—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
However, in May 1973, following a federal investigation and an internal CBS probe, he was summarily fired for misappropriating $94,000 from the label.
—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
22 June 2026
The lawsuit, originally filed in September, accused OpenAI of misappropriating confidential information from departing xAI employees.
—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
Ereg is accused of obtaining, misappropriating and laundering millions of dollars meant to feed children in need, officials said in a statement.
—
Alicia Victoria Lozano,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
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Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
However, in May 1973, following a federal investigation and an internal CBS probe, he was summarily fired for misappropriating $94,000 from the label.
—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
22 June 2026
The lawsuit, originally filed in September, accused OpenAI of misappropriating confidential information from departing xAI employees.
—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
Ereg is accused of obtaining, misappropriating and laundering millions of dollars meant to feed children in need, officials said in a statement.
—
Alicia Victoria Lozano,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
Cite this Entry
“Misappropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misappropriate. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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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