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 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
Other charges include theft of property over $10,000 and misappropriating ID to obtain money.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2025
The pair accuse Ground Game of misappropriating their work to boost its fundraising and stature.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
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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
Other charges include theft of property over $10,000 and misappropriating ID to obtain money.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2025
The pair accuse Ground Game of misappropriating their work to boost its fundraising and stature.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 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 10 Jun. 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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