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Synonyms

misapply

American  
[mis-uh-plahy] / ˌmɪs əˈplaɪ /

verb (used with object)

misapplied, misapplying

  1. to make a wrong application or use of.

misapply British  
/ ˌmɪsəˈplaɪ, ˌmɪsæplɪˈkeɪʃən /

verb

  1. to apply wrongly or badly

  2. another word for misappropriate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of misapply

First recorded in 1565–75; mis- 1 + apply

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Misapply, mis-ap-plī′, v.t. to apply wrongly: to use for a wrong purpose.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.