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
In a recent Instagram post, Pintacura said Thieme misappropriated state funds and grossly mishandled budget protocols.
—
Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
In his closing, Scott admitted to writing and mailing the letters, but argued that authorities cannot prove Morales Reyes' identity, and therefore he should not be found guilty of misappropriating his identity.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Marshall exposed that funds intended for inmate rehabilitation and reform were misappropriated or misused, leading to failures in implementing the Act and poor staff, inmate, and public outcomes.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
But although the robbery is a roaring success, the Tailor makes a fateful visit to Vittorio, who has been gradually slipping into corruption by misappropriating church funds.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
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Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
In his closing, Scott admitted to writing and mailing the letters, but argued that authorities cannot prove Morales Reyes' identity, and therefore he should not be found guilty of misappropriating his identity.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Marshall exposed that funds intended for inmate rehabilitation and reform were misappropriated or misused, leading to failures in implementing the Act and poor staff, inmate, and public outcomes.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
But although the robbery is a roaring success, the Tailor makes a fateful visit to Vittorio, who has been gradually slipping into corruption by misappropriating church funds.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 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 6 Feb. 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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