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
Because Social Security benefit programs are considered mandatory spending by law, they are not impacted by the lapse in funding appropriations.
—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
On June 30, the Department of Education told state agencies that congressional appropriations for after-school activities and English-as-a-second-language instruction would not arrive the next day, as planned.
—Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
In the appropriation on Wednesday, the Board of Supervisors tapped on Measure W, a ballot measure originally billed as funding for homelessness, to provide funding to various immigration groups.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) attempted to move forward with a vote on a full-year Defense appropriations bill on Thursday to gain some favor with Senate Democrats on the edge about the shutdown.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for appropriation
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Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
On June 30, the Department of Education told state agencies that congressional appropriations for after-school activities and English-as-a-second-language instruction would not arrive the next day, as planned.
—Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
In the appropriation on Wednesday, the Board of Supervisors tapped on Measure W, a ballot measure originally billed as funding for homelessness, to provide funding to various immigration groups.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) attempted to move forward with a vote on a full-year Defense appropriations bill on Thursday to gain some favor with Senate Democrats on the edge about the shutdown.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 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
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