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 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
Former employees went to court, accusing the preacher of misappropriating donations, and lawsuits were filed against his ministry over tax exemptions and contested wills, which brought in millions.
—Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025
Is there a way to acknowledge the holiday without misappropriating it?
—Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
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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
Former employees went to court, accusing the preacher of misappropriating donations, and lawsuits were filed against his ministry over tax exemptions and contested wills, which brought in millions.
—Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025
Is there a way to acknowledge the holiday without misappropriating it?
—Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 16 June 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 5 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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