reappropriate
verb
re·ap·pro·pri·ate
(ˌ)rē-ə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt 
reappropriated; reappropriating; reappropriates
: to appropriate (something) again: such as
a
: to allocate or assign (something) in a new or different way
reappropriate funds previously allocated for maintenance
b
: to take back or reclaim (something) for one's own purposes
trying to reappropriate a disparaging term
Examples of reappropriate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Porter County Council voted 4-to-2 against reappropriating $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act money for repairs to the Memorial Opera House following a contentious exchange with two members of the Porter County Board of Commissioners Tuesday night.
—
Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2023
The resolution from the mayor’s office asks the Assembly to reappropriate the money directly to the Maintenance and Operations Department from the Areawide General Capital Improvement Projects Fund in order to pay the settlement.
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 3 June 2023
Its cultural significance is as muddled as the broader Pepe meme, which began as a friendly cartoon frog before it was appropriated by alt-right losers, then reappropriated into the mainstream by the artist and his allies, and later adopted by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 9 May 2023
The $134 billion in remaining funds returns to the Treasury Department unless Congress votes to reappropriate the money.
—Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2020
The movie takes its title from a beauty pageant prize given to a girl working in the cotton industry during British colonial rule — a title the director seeks to reappropriate and subvert.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 17 Nov. 2022
The Finals also proved that the Celtics’ most impactful defensive player is sui generis center Robert Williams. Saying goodbye to Smart could bring back a return that allows the Celtics to reappropriate their roster resources.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 21 June 2022
At Thursday's meeting, the justices of the peace were asked to reappropriate about $85,000 for the Detention Center expansion and the full $250,000 for the Juvenile Justice Center project.
—Tom Sissom, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2022
Congress must regularly reappropriate funding for NASA missions—a tricky proposition for projects on multi-decade time scales, given that congressional values and power holders frequently change.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021
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Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2023
The resolution from the mayor’s office asks the Assembly to reappropriate the money directly to the Maintenance and Operations Department from the Areawide General Capital Improvement Projects Fund in order to pay the settlement.
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 3 June 2023
Its cultural significance is as muddled as the broader Pepe meme, which began as a friendly cartoon frog before it was appropriated by alt-right losers, then reappropriated into the mainstream by the artist and his allies, and later adopted by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 9 May 2023
The $134 billion in remaining funds returns to the Treasury Department unless Congress votes to reappropriate the money.
—Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2020
The movie takes its title from a beauty pageant prize given to a girl working in the cotton industry during British colonial rule — a title the director seeks to reappropriate and subvert.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 17 Nov. 2022
The Finals also proved that the Celtics’ most impactful defensive player is sui generis center Robert Williams. Saying goodbye to Smart could bring back a return that allows the Celtics to reappropriate their roster resources.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 21 June 2022
At Thursday's meeting, the justices of the peace were asked to reappropriate about $85,000 for the Detention Center expansion and the full $250,000 for the Juvenile Justice Center project.
—Tom Sissom, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2022
Congress must regularly reappropriate funding for NASA missions—a tricky proposition for projects on multi-decade time scales, given that congressional values and power holders frequently change.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Reappropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reappropriate. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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