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 Bar’s audit accused Hernandez of misappropriating anywhere from $169,000 to $381,000, and the Bar successfully requested Hernandez receive an emergency suspension.
—
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
The case involved college football players arguing their right of publicity had been misappropriated on account of appearing on TV broadcasts without being paid.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The men fell out in 2007 after Epstein misappropriated at least $46 million from Wexner, the retail tycoon wrote in a 2020 letter.
—Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Misappropriation of lost property: Between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., the victims used a ride share service to get to their home in the 18000 block of Vanderbilt Drive and left a cellular phone and a wallet in the car, which was misappropriated by the driver for a loss valued at approximately $1,150.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
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David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
The case involved college football players arguing their right of publicity had been misappropriated on account of appearing on TV broadcasts without being paid.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The men fell out in 2007 after Epstein misappropriated at least $46 million from Wexner, the retail tycoon wrote in a 2020 letter.
—Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Misappropriation of lost property: Between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., the victims used a ride share service to get to their home in the 18000 block of Vanderbilt Drive and left a cellular phone and a wallet in the car, which was misappropriated by the driver for a loss valued at approximately $1,150.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 6 July 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 26 Aug. 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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