misappropriate
verb
mis·ap·pro·pri·ate
ˌmi-sə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt 
misappropriated; misappropriating; misappropriates
: to appropriate wrongly (as by theft or embezzlement)
Synonyms
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
The state Supreme Court disbarred a Miami lawyer after a scathing 123-page referee’s report that accused the attorney of misappropriating client funds and, possibly, money laundering to cover theft.
—
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025
The next month, WBD hosted Tesla for its robotaxi rollout event, which led to the studio getting sued for misappropriating Blade Runner 2049.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Dec. 2024
Meredith and Catherine Face Off After Catherine discovered Meredith was misappropriating funds for her Alzheimer's research in the season 20 finale, she was reserved with an injunction from the Fox Foundation.
—Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2024
Now it’s misappropriated the visual language of many other retail and consumer goods brands to look more progressive.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misappropriate 
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David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025
The next month, WBD hosted Tesla for its robotaxi rollout event, which led to the studio getting sued for misappropriating Blade Runner 2049.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Dec. 2024
Meredith and Catherine Face Off After Catherine discovered Meredith was misappropriating funds for her Alzheimer's research in the season 20 finale, she was reserved with an injunction from the Fox Foundation.
—Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2024
Now it’s misappropriated the visual language of many other retail and consumer goods brands to look more progressive.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misappropriate
Dictionary Entries Near misappropriate
Cite this Entry
“Misappropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misappropriate. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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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