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
Since none of the 12 appropriations bills have been approved, this shutdown is more extensive than the partial shutdown that started in December 2018, when Congress had enacted five of the 12 appropriations bills, said the nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank Committee for a Responsible Budget.
—
Medora Lee, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
But Republicans instead want to pass a short-term funding bill to keep the government open for a few weeks while bipartisan negotiations on appropriations take place.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
The shutdown will end when Congress passes and Trump signs an appropriations bill to fund the federal departments and agencies that are currently suspending operations.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The amount of funding available from the NIH, NSF and DARPA varies annually, depending on congressional appropriations.
—Ryan Summers, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for appropriation
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Medora Lee, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
But Republicans instead want to pass a short-term funding bill to keep the government open for a few weeks while bipartisan negotiations on appropriations take place.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
The shutdown will end when Congress passes and Trump signs an appropriations bill to fund the federal departments and agencies that are currently suspending operations.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The amount of funding available from the NIH, NSF and DARPA varies annually, depending on congressional appropriations.
—Ryan Summers, The Conversation, 3 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 7 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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