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
That duty requires you, among other things, to be transparent about finances, make financial decisions with your spouse’s best interest in mind and not to misappropriate assets.
—
Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 24 Nov. 2025
Wilson then countersued her producers, accusing them of misappropriating $900,000 in Australian currency and expanding on the claim that The Deb star Charlotte MacInnes came to Wilson with an allegation about Ghost, which Wilson was later punished for reporting.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025
Last year, a Yolo County criminal grand jury indicted Trauernicht on a charge of misappropriating public funds while working for the University of California, Davis.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025
In the 2025 case related to the letters he is accused of sending from jail, Scott is charged with one count of misappropriating a person's identity to harm their reputation, intimidating a witness, and two counts of felony bail jumping.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
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Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 24 Nov. 2025
Wilson then countersued her producers, accusing them of misappropriating $900,000 in Australian currency and expanding on the claim that The Deb star Charlotte MacInnes came to Wilson with an allegation about Ghost, which Wilson was later punished for reporting.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025
Last year, a Yolo County criminal grand jury indicted Trauernicht on a charge of misappropriating public funds while working for the University of California, Davis.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025
In the 2025 case related to the letters he is accused of sending from jail, Scott is charged with one count of misappropriating a person's identity to harm their reputation, intimidating a witness, and two counts of felony bail jumping.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 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 29 Nov. 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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