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
The Ministry of Culture has not indicated whether the Stelle della Notte funds were misappropriated or granted under misleading pretenses, but officials have launched an internal review of the procedures used to approve the credit.
—
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2025
On Friday, Curtis Frank Lemons, 68, was sentenced to two years in state prison for misappropriating funds from New Progressive Christian Baptist Church in Oxnard, according to the Ventura County district attorney’s office.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
The money was misappropriated, and the victim never received the loan, for a total loss of about $500,000.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
The charges include two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of hiding a corpse, theft of property over $10,000, and two counts of misappropriating identification to obtain money.
—CBS News, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
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Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2025
On Friday, Curtis Frank Lemons, 68, was sentenced to two years in state prison for misappropriating funds from New Progressive Christian Baptist Church in Oxnard, according to the Ventura County district attorney’s office.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
The money was misappropriated, and the victim never received the loan, for a total loss of about $500,000.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
The charges include two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of hiding a corpse, theft of property over $10,000, and two counts of misappropriating identification to obtain money.
—CBS News, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
Cite this Entry
“Misappropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misappropriate. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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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