misapplication
noun
mis·ap·pli·ca·tion
ˌmis-ˌa-plə-ˈkā-shən 
plural misapplications
1
: the act or an instance of applying something incorrectly or improperly
a misapplication of the law
herbicide misapplication
2
: the act or an instance of misusing or spending something (such as public money) without proper authority
… a bank president was convicted of misapplication after he programmed the bank's computer not to debit his personal checking account when it would otherwise have been overdrawn.—
Stanley S. Arkin
Stanley S. ArkinExamples of misapplication in a Sentence
this silly gossiping is a serious misapplication of your time
Recent Examples on the Web
Such misapplications of antitrust tend to reduce the competitive vitality of a nation’s firms, rendering them less effective on the global stage – and thereby reducing that nation’s competitiveness.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Among the soldiers is a cluster of combat veterans, many trained in allied countries, who voice concern about the misapplication of their battlefield expertise.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Feb. 2025
This appears to be no more complicated than an application (perhaps a misapplication) of human courtesies to the canine world.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2024
Those misapplications might trigger personal liability for the guarantor, the former principal of the mortgage borrower – but the guarantor can no longer do anything to prevent it.
—Joshua Stein, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
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Alden Abbott, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Among the soldiers is a cluster of combat veterans, many trained in allied countries, who voice concern about the misapplication of their battlefield expertise.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Feb. 2025
This appears to be no more complicated than an application (perhaps a misapplication) of human courtesies to the canine world.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2024
Those misapplications might trigger personal liability for the guarantor, the former principal of the mortgage borrower – but the guarantor can no longer do anything to prevent it.
—Joshua Stein, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for misapplication
Cite this Entry
“Misapplication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misapplication. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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