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 Bret Saxon and his companies have been sued multiple times by investors and others who accused him of fraud and misappropriating funds from film projects. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023 Though the conviction will have little bearing on the quantity of funds recovered in the FTX bankruptcy process, the mood following the verdict is equally celebratory among those whose money was misappropriated by Bankman-Fried. WIRED, 3 Nov. 2023 The Department of Justice accused the FTX founder of misappropriating about $8 billion in customer funds. Alan Murray, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2023 This important determination is a strong validation of our efforts to hold Apple accountable for unlawfully misappropriating our patented technology. Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 27 Oct. 2023 He was accused of misappropriating at least $170,000 of a $1.5 million investment to finance a movie called Fandango for personal expenses. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Sep. 2023 Shannon also asserts that K.C. misappropriated Noni’s funds to help finance multiple low-budget films as well as for property renovations beyond the scope of her needs, including a pool featuring a grotto and a slide system — all claims that K.C. dismisses. Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Nov. 2023 That complaint was filed after the captain accused two higher-ups of misappropriating funds, Alvarenga’s suit says. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2023 Revelations surfaced that Alameda Research, FTX’s secretive sister company, had been misappropriating billions worth of customer funds from the crypto exchange. Tracy Wang, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misappropriate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misappropriate was in 1825

Dictionary Entries Near misappropriate

Cite this Entry

“Misappropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misappropriate. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

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

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