misappropriate

verb

mis·ap·pro·pri·ate | \ ˌmi-sə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt

misappropriated; misappropriating; misappropriates

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 on the Web

Denise Ezekiel, the director of payroll, has been charged with larceny for allegedly misappropriating more than $23,000 relating to travel and reimbursement funds, said Meghan Kelly, spokeswoman for Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. — Matt Rocheleau, BostonGlobe.com, "State Police payroll head charged with allegedly stealing from the agency," 18 Apr. 2018 Last April, Bagby filed a civil lawsuit against Becker, alleging Becker stole from the company, committed fraud and misappropriated company trade secrets. — Christina Tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "Chris Becker, Baltimore chef and former Bagby Restaurant Group CEO, dies," 27 June 2018 This is true; less than two years ago, the ITC determined that Fitbit did not misappropriate Jawbone trade secrets. — Lauren Goode, WIRED, "Indictment of Ex-Fitbit Employees Marks a Bigger Legal Shift," 23 June 2018 With these and other examples in mind, the 76ers could have argued that Colangelo misappropriated trade secrets. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Could Bryan Colangelo Still Face Legal Consequences After Parting Ways With 76ers?," 7 June 2018 Hawkins got into trouble with the Bar after mishandling a case and ended up pleading no contest to misappropriating money from a client’s account. — Lauren Ritchie, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lake County owes Virgil Hawkins recognition and a thank you for role in civil rights struggle," 12 July 2018 The lawsuit, filed at Los Angeles County Superior Court, accuses Sativa of failing to provide quality drinking water, misappropriating taxpayer dollars and causing a financial burden on its low-income customers in Compton and Willowbrook. — Angel Jennings, latimes.com, "Customers sue embattled Compton water district over discolored water," 10 July 2018 The suit seeks class action status, to include all credit union members who had fake loans taken out in their names, had money misappropriated or diverted or those whose credit reports were damaged as a result of the wrongdoing. — Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, "Credit union worker accused of stealing from cops now faces foreclosure," 6 June 2018 Malaysian officials, however, have said there is no evidence that money from the investment fund was misappropriated. — New York Times, "Malaysia Opposition, Led by 92-Year-Old, Wins Upset Victory," 9 May 2018

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.