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
Knox was charged with three felony counts of embezzlement and three felony counts of misappropriating public money, officials said.
—
Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Amy Knox, the former chief operating officer of Harm Reduction-SD, was charged with three felony counts of misappropriating public money and three felony counts of embezzlement.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Wexner said Epstein misappropriated millions of dollars, which led to him cutting off communication in 2007.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
Judge Paul Richardson sentenced Meagan Emily McFadden to 180 days in the Yolo County Jail for a felony conviction of misappropriating public money.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
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Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Amy Knox, the former chief operating officer of Harm Reduction-SD, was charged with three felony counts of misappropriating public money and three felony counts of embezzlement.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Wexner said Epstein misappropriated millions of dollars, which led to him cutting off communication in 2007.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
Judge Paul Richardson sentenced Meagan Emily McFadden to 180 days in the Yolo County Jail for a felony conviction of misappropriating public money.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misappropriate
Cite this Entry
“Misappropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misappropriate. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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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