appropriated

verb

past tense of appropriate
1
as in seized
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right archaeologists wrongfully appropriated artifacts excavated at ancient sites for their museums

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in stole
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep you can't just appropriate somebody's term paper and put your name on it!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of appropriated He was most widely known for his artworks that appropriated lyrics from Korean pop songs. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 June 2026 It was appropriated a decade ago as a signal for white supremacy that started as a hoax on the far-right online message board 4chan. — ABC News, 15 June 2026 Trump was withholding money from Ukraine that Congress had appropriated, and that was the basis for the impeachment. — Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 29 June 2026 The Legislature appropriated $5 million in one-time funding, so next year, lawmakers will have to decide whether to allocate additional money. — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026 For those manufacturers, and for the neoliberals who appropriated Kahlo to sell free trade with Mexico, her life of political radicalism is left unmentioned. — Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Sununu, who formerly served as governor of New Hampshire, urged Congress to find more money to overhaul the air traffic control system — on top of the billions lawmakers appropriated last year to upgrade communications and radar equipment. — Joel Rose, NPR, 1 July 2026 According to Dallas, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert may negotiate pre-development agreements on prospective sites and has appropriated up to $3 million in funds for that work. — Jack Fink, CBS News, 17 June 2026 The federal government has appropriated $22 billion of Community Development Block Grants for disaster recovery since 2020, according to HUD data. — Grace Hase, Mercury News, 1 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appropriated
  1. seized
  2. stole
  3. confiscated
  4. misappropriated
  5. usurped
  6. swiped
  7. converted
  8. claimed
Verb
  • Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who voted against the proposal in mid-June, voiced fears that the list of noncitizen voters would immediately be seized by federal immigration authorities.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, Russia’s military on Saturday claimed to have seized the city of Kostiantynivka, a key defensive hub in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
    — Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • The press release says in total Fleming stole about $450,000 in cash.
    — Mary Ella Hastings July 3, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 July 2026
  • That's when Brandon Miller made his move and stole not only the win but the show.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of stole
Verb
  • The most obvious concession is compensating Cubans and Americans whose assets were confiscated during the revolution.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • With the charges dismissed, Patel will no longer face prosecution and is expected to receive his passport back shortly after it was confiscated by authorities.
    — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of confiscated
Verb
  • He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condo deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.
    — Jay Weaver June 6, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
  • The judge, however, said Monday that Ramco failed to offer evidence that Prasad misappropriated hospital funds.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Definition of misappropriated
Verb
  • Congress’s celebration, planned for a decade, has been usurped by the president’s celebration, funded by private donors and featuring a political speech by himself.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
  • The wedding broke the record for the largest single-location mass wedding at the time, until it was usurped in 2023, per Guinness World Records.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
Definition of usurped
Verb
  • Two weeks before Maria hit, Hurricane Irma swiped past the island’s northeast corner as a Category 5 storm, also knocking out power.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • That tactic may situate this work within a lineage that includes Jacques Villeglé and Mimmo Rotella, artists who used swiped, torn ads during the postwar era.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of swiped
Verb
  • Bellingham scored two goals 98 seconds apart in the first half, and six minutes after Jarell Quansah was sent off, Kane converted a penalty to restore England’s two-goal lead.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Half the elegant stable block (converted into a studio by Beaton) and a cozy dairy house remained.
    — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 5 July 2026
Definition of converted
Verb
  • The Dodgers claimed a series win in the four-game home set against their division rival, with the chance to sweep Sunday.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • Russia meanwhile has claimed that its forces now control the important town of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of claimed

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appropriate
appropriated
appropriately
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Cite this Entry

“Appropriated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appropriated. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of appropriated for Spanish Speakers

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