misuse

1 of 2

verb

mis·​use ˌmis-ˈyüz How to pronounce misuse (audio)
misused; misusing; misuses

transitive verb

1
: to use incorrectly : misapply
misused his talents
a word that is frequently misused
2
: abuse, mistreat
… their prisoner had the heavy task of receiving their insolence as wit, answering their insults with good-humour, and withholding from them the opportunity which they sought of engaging him in a quarrel, that they might have a pretence for misusing him.Sir Walter Scott
misuser noun
plural misusers

misuse

2 of 2

noun

mis·​use ˌmis-ˈyüs How to pronounce misuse (audio)
: incorrect or improper use : misapplication

Examples of misuse in a Sentence

Verb She's charged with misusing company funds. a word that is frequently misused Noun No refunds will be offered on products damaged by misuse. the warranty for this dryer is null and void if you subject the product to deliberate misuse
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Some outlets have been called out for misusing the technology, though skepticism has now—perhaps more productively—been met with optimistic discourse around how the technology can help journalism rebound and flourish. Jennifer Acree, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Cameo lawsuit: Former Rep. George Santos filed a civil lawsuit against Jimmy Kimmel on Saturday accusing the late-night host of using fake names to request Cameo videos from the ex-lawmaker and then misusing them on his show. Josh Feldman, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2024 Wayne LaPierre, who for decades controlled the National Rifle Association, is on trial, as the former CEO of the powerful gun rights organization is accused of misusing tens of millions of dollars in a lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general's office. CBS News, 16 Feb. 2024 The committee further alleged that Santos misused campaign funds for his own personal purposes by purchasing things like Botox injections, OnlyFans subscriptions and items from luxury retailers such as Sephora and Hermès. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024 The agency said the Autopilot system can give drivers a false sense of security and be easily misused in certain dangerous situations when Tesla’s technology may be unable to safely navigate the road. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2024 Last year, Bolsonaro was barred from running for political office until 2030 by the country’s highest electoral court for abusing his power and misusing public media during the 2022 election campaign. Alessandra Castelli, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 Other potential obstacles that these IT leaders cited included a lack of regulation surrounding the technology, the unproven return on investment and the possibility of accidentally misusing the tech. Daniel Schiappa, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The lawsuit was brought in 2020 by James, who accused LaPierre of misusing an excessive amount of money from the NRA’s charitable mission for his personal use of private jets, trips to the Bahamas and other luxuries, without oversight from the NRA or its executives. Melissa Chan, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Amazon Studios and original Road House scribe R. Lance Hill are coming to blows after the latter sued the studio for copyright infringement, also making claims of misuse of AI, with regards to its upcoming remake. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2024 Also prompting the order was a concern that the government has limited ability to deal with the threats of foreign data misuse. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024 Some cities have enacted their own rules, like San Clemente prohibiting the bikes on its popular bike path and Huntington Beach allowing police officers to issue citations or impound bikes for misuse. Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 The Attorney General's Office alleged misuse of financial resources and claimed NRA leaders ignored whistleblowers and included false information on state filings. Allison Elyse Gualtieri, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2024 The appeal that will be heard Tuesday is the latest attempt to avoid facing the 17 counts of espionage and one count of computer misuse he has been charged with in the United States. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Even for early adopters, the potential for misuse isn’t entirely out of mind. Will Knight, WIRED, 15 Feb. 2024 The Republicans opposing the aid don’t argue directly with that logic, though many insist that pouring billions into a country with a deep history of corruption invites misuse. David E. Sanger, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024 This factor should be considered when selecting a secure app to prevent misuse of your private data, regardless of your adherence to the law. David Balaban, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, partly from mis- + usen to use; partly from Middle French mesuser to abuse, from Old French, from mes- + user to use

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misuse was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near misuse

Cite this Entry

“Misuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misuse. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

misuse

1 of 2 verb
mis·​use mish-ˈüz How to pronounce misuse (audio)
(ˈ)mish-ˈyüz,
(ˈ)mis-ˈyüz
1
: to use incorrectly : misapply
2
misusage
-ˈ(y)ü-sij
-zij
noun

misuse

2 of 2 noun
mis·​use mish-ˈüs How to pronounce misuse (audio)
(ˈ)mish-ˈyüs,
(ˈ)mis-ˈyüs
: incorrect or improper use

More from Merriam-Webster on misuse

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