MISAPPROPRIATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does misappropriation mean? 

• MISAPPROPRIATION (noun)
  The noun MISAPPROPRIATION has 2 senses:

1. the fraudulent appropriation of funds or property entrusted to your care but actually owned by someone else

2. wrongful borrowing

  Familiarity information: MISAPPROPRIATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MISAPPROPRIATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The fraudulent appropriation of funds or property entrusted to your care but actually owned by someone else

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

defalcation; embezzlement; misapplication; misappropriation; peculation

Hypernyms ("misappropriation" is a kind of...):

larceny; stealing; theft; thievery; thieving (the act of taking something from someone unlawfully)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "misappropriation"):

raid (an attempt by speculators to defraud investors)

plunderage (the act of plundering (especially the embezzlement of goods on shipboard))

Derivation:

misappropriate (appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Wrongful borrowing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

his explanation was a misappropriation of sociological theory

Hypernyms ("misappropriation" is a kind of...):

adoption; borrowing (the appropriation (of ideas or words etc) from another source)