misspent

[mis-spent]

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of misspend.

adjective

1. spent wrongly or unwisely; wasted.

   misspent youth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of misspent¹

First recorded in 1425–75, for the adjective

Example Sentences

“There was no wrongdoing or things being hidden or money misspent or being stolen. What he’s saying, there’s nothing of that, you know?”

From Los Angeles Times

They think claims of bureaucratic bloat and misspent tax dollars are legit across all levels of government, and he noted that in California, undocumented immigrants qualify for Medi-Cal.

From Los Angeles Times

It believes that much of that funding has been misspent.

From BBC

"If we want to restore fiscal responsibility, we must start by being transparent about the dollars that are spent, address the issues we find, and then hold those accountable who have misspent funds," Johnson wrote.

From BBC

He alleges that some government officials hoped to bypass the legal requirements, including public consultation, that are supposed to prevent taxpayers' money from being misspent.

From BBC