misappropriate

verb

mis·​ap·​pro·​pri·​ate ˌmi-sə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt How to pronounce misappropriate (audio)
misappropriated; misappropriating; misappropriates

transitive verb

: to appropriate wrongly (as by theft or embezzlement)
misappropriation noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In 2016, on the verge of being caught for misappropriating millions from his celebrity NFL clients to finance terrible feature films, Blazer confessed his crimes to the federal government and explained how the underbelly of college sports really worked, in gruesome detail. Guy Lawson, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025 The charter school acknowledged in March its wrongdoing and offered to pay back $13 million in state funds attributed to misappropriating attendance in the 2021-22 school year, according to ABC10. Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2025 The case was initiated by the current leadership of the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) against its former president, Randy Kanai, who is accused of misappropriating or failing to account for hundreds of thousands of dollars in the organization’s funds over several years at the helm. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2025 Days after an April whistleblower report alleged that DOGE misappropriated sensitive labor dispute data, DOGE staffers paid a visit to the Washington, D.C. office. Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for misappropriate

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misappropriate was in 1825

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misappropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misappropriate. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

misappropriate

verb
mis·​ap·​pro·​pri·​ate ˌmis-ə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt How to pronounce misappropriate (audio)
: to appropriate wrongly
especially : to take dishonestly for one's own use
misappropriation noun

Legal Definition

misappropriate

transitive verb
mis·​ap·​pro·​pri·​ate ˌmi-sə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt How to pronounce misappropriate (audio)
: to appropriate wrongfully or unlawfully (as by theft or embezzlement)
misappropriation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on misappropriate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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