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Misappropriation: meaning, definitions and examples

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misappropriation

 

[ mɪsəˌproʊpriˈeɪʃən ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

legal term

The act of taking something for one's own use, typically funds or property, that belongs to another person or entity. Misappropriation is considered a form of theft or embezzlement and is illegal.

Synonyms

appropriation, embezzlement, theft

Examples of usage

  • The CEO was charged with misappropriation of company funds.
  • The misappropriation of public funds is a serious offense.

Translations

Translations of the word "misappropriation" in other languages:

🇵🇹 apropriação indevida

🇮🇳 अनुचित उपयोग

🇩🇪 Unterschlagung

🇮🇩 penyalahgunaan

🇺🇦 привласнення

🇵🇱 sprzeniewierzenie

🇯🇵 横領 (おうりょう)

🇫🇷 détournement

🇪🇸 malversación

🇹🇷 zimmet

🇰🇷 횡령 (hoengnyeong)

🇸🇦 اختلاس

🇨🇿 zpronevěra

🇸🇰 sprenevera

🇨🇳 挪用 (nuóyòng)

🇸🇮 pronevera

🇮🇸 misbeiting

🇰🇿 иемдену

🇬🇪 მითვისება

🇦🇿 mənimsəmə

🇲🇽 malversación

Etymology

The word misappropriation originated from the combination of the prefix 'mis-' meaning 'wrongly' or 'badly' and the word 'appropriation' meaning 'to take possession of'. It first appeared in the early 19th century in legal contexts to describe the illegal act of taking something that belongs to someone else. Over time, misappropriation has become commonly used in discussions of financial crimes and ethics.

See also: appropriate, appropriately, appropriateness, appropriation, inappropriate, inappropriately, inappropriateness, misappropriate, unappropriated.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #21,623, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.