misappropriate

IPA/ˌmɪsəˈprəʊprieɪt/
KK[mɪsəprˈopriˌet]IPA/ˌmɪsəˈprəʊprieɪt/

misappropriate — verb

  • misappropriatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • misappropriateshe / she / it
  • misappropriatedpast simple
  • misappropriating-ing form

1. to use money or property that was placed in your care for your own benefit in a

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to use money or property that was placed in your care for your own benefit in a dishonest way

Example

The charity treasurer Quan misappropriated NT$50,000 from the student group's account for personal use.

misappropriate + sum + from + [fund] + for + [purpose]

Talia discovered that her manager had been misappropriating money meant for office lunches.

passive progressive: had been misappropriating + money meant for [X]

Common collocations
  • misappropriate funds
  • misappropriate money
  • misappropriate property
  • misappropriate public money
  • misappropriate client funds
  • misappropriate assets
  • misappropriate resources
  • misappropriate from an account
Synonyms
  • embezzle

    narrower — only for money stolen over time by someone in a financial role

  • steal

    broader — can be any kind of theft, not just from a position of trust

  • defraud

    focuses on the deception used to obtain the money or property

Antonyms
  • return

    to give back what was entrusted

  • repay

    to pay back money that was borrowed or taken

Grammar Patterns

misappropriate + something

misappropriate + something + from + someone/something

Usage Note

Frequently appears in legal and financial contexts. The object is usually money, funds, or property that someone has entrusted to the subject's care.

Common Mistakes

He misappropriated a car from the parking lot.
He misappropriated company funds from the business account.
misappropriate only applies to things given to you in trust, not to ordinary theft of strangers' property.
The children misappropriated cookies from the kitchen.
The accountant misappropriated client money from the firm's trust account.
misappropriate is a formal word for professional/financial dishonesty, not everyday taking.

Etymology

First known use

1825

1825, in the meaning defined above