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Meaning & use

misappropriation of funds

noun·Advancedlegalformal

Last updated

UK/ˌmɪsəˌprəʊpriˈeɪʃn əv ˈfʌndz/
US/ˌmɪsəˌproʊpriˈeɪʃn əv ˈfʌndz/

Meaning

  1. noununcountablelegal

    The wrongful use of money that belongs to someone else, or that you manage for a particular purpose, for your own ends.

    Grammar: Usually uncountable: he was charged with misappropriation of funds.

    Patterns

    • accused of misappropriation of funds
    • misappropriation of funds by someone

    The treasurer was accused of misappropriation of funds from the charity.

    An audit uncovered misappropriation of funds in the department.

    She resigned after claims of misappropriation of funds.

Common combinations

charged with misappropriation of funds
The manager was charged with misappropriation of funds.
allegations of misappropriation of funds
Allegations of misappropriation of funds shook the club.
investigate misappropriation of funds
Auditors will investigate misappropriation of funds at the firm.
convicted of misappropriation of funds
He was convicted of misappropriation of funds and sentenced to prison.
evidence of misappropriation of funds
The report found no evidence of misappropriation of funds.

Synonyms and how they differ

embezzlement
Embezzlement means secretly stealing money placed in your care, and is slightly narrower and more criminal than misappropriation.
misuse of funds
Misuse of funds is plainer and may mean wasteful use without any theft.
fraud
Fraud means deceiving people for gain and covers far more than money handling.
peculation
Peculation is a formal and rare word for stealing public money.

Opposites

proper stewardship

Word family

misappropriate verb
to take and use money wrongly
misappropriated adjective
wrongly taken for another use
appropriation noun
the act of taking something for a particular use
fund noun
a sum of money set aside for a purpose

Commonly confused: misappropriation of funds or appropriation? misappropriation of funds or embezzlement?

misappropriation of funds vs appropriation

Appropriation alone can be lawful, such as a government setting aside money, while misappropriation is wrongful.

misappropriation of funds vs embezzlement

Embezzlement requires secretly taking the money, whereas misappropriation can include using it in unauthorized ways.

Practice

A charity treasurer who spends donated money on personal holidays may be guilty of ___.

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