Definition of misappropriate
transitive verb
:to appropriate wrongly (as by theft or embezzlement)
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Examples of misappropriate in a Sentence
They accused him of misappropriating town funds.
a financial manager misappropriating funds from her clients' accounts
Recent Examples of misappropriate from the Web
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A year earlier, he was accused of misappropriating over $92,000 during a real estate transaction he was retained to facilitate; that civil action remains active.
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Former Poway Superintendent John Collins is facing felony charges for allegedly misappropriating public money and filing a false financial disclosure form.
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A former University of Missouri employee accused of misappropriating funds is being investigated by university police.
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At the time of his arrest, Francis was accused of misappropriating more than $300,000.
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Neal Bergstrom was charged with others in 2006 with misappropriating more than $4 million from clients who'd hired them to handle their payroll.
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He was also charged with fraudulently using thousands of dollars from his campaign fund for personal expenses, misusing city vehicles and misappropriating money intended to fund his mother's nursing home care.
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Through it all, investigators have explored whether public money was misused or misappropriated by developers tasked with creating affordable housing in South Florida, where the cost of housing remains among the highest in the nation.
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And in 2014, the state attorney general found that a marketing and fundraising firm working with the parade had misappropriated $1 million.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misappropriate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of misappropriate
1825
misappropriate Synonyms
Synonyms
appropriate, boost [slang], filch, heist, hook, lift, steal, nick [British slang], nip, pilfer, pinch, pocket, purloin, rip off, snitch, swipe, thieveRelated Words
burglarize, knock over, rob; loot, pillage, plunder, sack; carjack, hijack (also highjack); pick, rifle; poach, rustle, shoplift; collar, grab, grasp, nail, seize, snatch, take; mooch, sponge; abduct, kidnap, shanghai, spiritNear Antonyms
buy, purchase; bestow, contribute, donate, give, hand over, presentMISAPPROPRIATE Defined for English Language Learners
misappropriate
play
verb
Definition of misappropriate for English Language Learners
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: to take (something, such as money) dishonestly for your own use : to appropriate (something) wrongly
Law Dictionary
Learn More about misappropriate
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See words that rhyme with misappropriate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for misappropriate Spanish Central: Translation of misappropriate Nglish: Translation of misappropriate for Spanish speakers
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