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
After Lourenco took over as president, his administration estimated that at least $24 billion was stolen or misappropriated by dos Santos.
—
ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
Dixon comptroller Rita Crundwell was arrested on charges of misappropriating more than $30 million in city money.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Allard said police allege that more than $39,000 collected through the cash wheel was misappropriated and never went to any local sports.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026
The charges stem from an internal investigation that found Lum misappropriated roughly $600,000 over several years while serving as COO from January 2019 until his resignation in December 2025.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
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ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
Dixon comptroller Rita Crundwell was arrested on charges of misappropriating more than $30 million in city money.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Allard said police allege that more than $39,000 collected through the cash wheel was misappropriated and never went to any local sports.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026
The charges stem from an internal investigation that found Lum misappropriated roughly $600,000 over several years while serving as COO from January 2019 until his resignation in December 2025.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 15 Apr. 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 20 Apr. 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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