Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

misappropriate

[mis-uh-proh-pree-eyt] / ˌmɪs əˈproʊ priˌeɪt /


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.

See Examples For:

The most famous case involved the Gupta brothers—Ajay, Atul and Rajesh—who were accused of using ties to the ANC to engage in corruption and bribery to misappropriate state assets, according to the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 21, 2025

Kenyan academic Karuti Kanyinga agrees that the social media content feeds into a desire for accountable leaders who can change Africa, do not misappropriate resources and try to uplift people from poverty.

From BBC Jul. 8, 2025

In early August, Azotam began to illegally convert and misappropriate the Knicks’ confidential and proprietary data, the lawsuit said.

From Seattle Times Aug. 21, 2023

There also are fears that the technology will steal jobs and that unethical players will misappropriate the intellectual property of companies, artists and ordinary people in the commercialization of their generative A.I. tools.

From New York Times Jul. 21, 2023

It is unconscionable that Khalid should misappropriate Party funds.

From The Book of Khalid by Ameen Fares Rihani

But beneath the pamphlets of patients living out their days in comfort lies an uglier reality: a cottage industry that frequently misappropriates taxpayer dollars in the name of profit.

From Slate Jan. 17, 2023

The privacy policy of a website outlines the details of what kind of data that website collects, but it does not offer any real recourse if the website misappropriates the data.

From Encyclopedia.com Jun. 26, 2018

The government is not in charge of the church, and the church is not in charge of the government - no matter how badly either misappropriates law or Scripture.

From Washington Times Jun. 20, 2018

Conflating diversity with a box-ticking or virtue-signalling exercise misappropriates its true meaning, which, if done properly by genuinely diverse decision-makers, is always about excellence.

From The Guardian Jun. 11, 2018

Is the girl who carries away sugar from the table any better than the government employee who misappropriates funds or supplies in his charge?

From Beatrice Leigh at College A Story for Girls by Julia Augusta Schwartz

“Despite our finding that the money was misappropriated, we find insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally,” the grand jury wrote.

From Salon Aug. 30, 2026

“I would have to say our investment in FTX,” Loeb replied, referring to the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency brokerage, which collapsed in 2022 after customer funds were found to be misappropriated.

From MarketWatch May 28, 2026

Prosecutors said the founders and operators of StraightPath misappropriated about $130 million, including paying themselves $75 million in nearly equal portions.

From The Wall Street Journal May 21, 2026

Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, alleges that Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman misappropriated his $38 million donations when OpenAI abandoned its original nonprofit and philanthropic mission to become the for-profit giant behind ChatGPT.

From Barron's May 12, 2026

“If you think you have any right to pry into her private affairs I’ll tell her you believe those checks are being misappropriated and you want an audit because you dont trust her.”

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner

In his lawsuit, Musk accuses OpenAI of betraying its original nonprofit mission and misappropriating his founding donations totalling $38 million to build an empire valued at over $850 billion.

From Barron's May 11, 2026

Last September, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil lawsuit against Lopez and his partners, accusing them of running a Ponzi scheme, misleading investors and misappropriating $16.1 million.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 10, 2026

Former employees went to court, accusing the preacher of misappropriating donations, and lawsuits were filed against his ministry over tax exemptions and contested wills, which brought in millions.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 1, 2025

The pair accuse Ground Game of misappropriating their work to boost its fundraising and stature.

From Los Angeles Times May 3, 2025

Let us accuse the Ministry of misappropriating twopence-halfpenny.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 104, March 25, 1893 by Various




Vocabulary lists containing misappropriate


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training