misuse
Americannoun
-
wrong or improper use; misapplication.
- Synonyms:
- misappropriation, misemployment
-
Obsolete. bad or abusive treatment.
verb (used with object)
-
to use wrongly or improperly; misapply.
-
to treat badly or abusively; maltreat.
noun
-
erroneous, improper, or unorthodox use
misuse of words
-
cruel or inhumane treatment
verb
-
to use wrongly
-
to treat badly or harshly
-
to use (something, esp alcohol, drugs, etc) improperly
Etymology
Origin of misuse
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The law has been challenged in the Supreme Court by petitioners who argue it violates the rights to information and free speech and could be misused for surveillance.
From BBC
It purported to be from a barristers' chambers called 7BR, which told the BBC it had "reported this incident to the police on the basis that someone appears to have fraudulently misused the 7BR letterhead".
From BBC
In a series of investigations, his team has paired GPS data with receipts and even personal bank records to catalog patterns of rolling misuse.
In 2013, the Government Accountability Office - the federal government's internal watchdog - examined private jet use by FBI director Robert Mueller and US Attorney General Eric Holder after accusations that they had been misusing them.
From BBC
Critics say shareholder proposals are excessive or misused, but the system includes safeguards that allow companies to exclude proposals that are irrelevant, duplicative, vague or improper.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
