misappropriate

[mis-uh-proh-pree-eyt]

See more synonyms for misappropriate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), mis·ap·pro·pri·at·ed, mis·ap·pro·pri·at·ing.

to put to a wrong use.
to apply wrongfully or dishonestly, as funds entrusted to one's care.

Origin of misappropriate

First recorded in 1855–60; mis-¹ + appropriate

Related formsmis·ap·pro·pri·a·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for misappropriation

desecration, mishandling, prostitution, exploitation, misdeed, wrongdoing, misuse, misconduct, misapplication, fault, crime, corruption, wrong, injustice, perversion, debasement, offense, delinquency, sin, mismanage

Examples from the Web for misappropriation

Contemporary Examples of misappropriation

In 2007, Burkle sued Follieri, the former boyfriend of actress Anne Hathaway, for misappropriation of funds.
Bill Clinton's $20 Million Breakup
Kim Masters
March 29, 2010

Historical Examples of misappropriation

Tom never for a moment regarded the misappropriation of the gold as a theft.
Twice Bought
R.M. Ballantyne
But a second avenue of misappropriation thus was discovered.
Uncle Sam Detective
William Atherton Du Puy
Dr. Cronin had been charging the triangle with misappropriation of the funds—and what else?
The Crime of the Century
Henry M. Hunt
I allow, then, that some misappropriation is not improbable.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 15, No. 88, February, 1865
Various
To spend so large an amount of the people's money in purely secular education seems to me a misappropriation of funds.
The Gist of Japan
R. B. Peery

British Dictionary definitions for misappropriation

misappropriate

verb

(tr) to appropriate for a wrong or dishonest use; embezzle or steal

Derived Formsmisappropriation, noun

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

Word Origin and History for misappropriation

1746; from mis- (1) + appropriation.

misappropriate

1803, from mis- (1) + appropriate (v.). Related: Misappropriated; misappropriating.