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View synonyms for

misuse

[ noun mis-yoos; verb mis-yooz ]

noun

  1. wrong or improper use; misapplication.

    Synonyms: ,

  2. Obsolete. bad or abusive treatment.


verb (used with object)

misused, misusing.
  1. to use wrongly or improperly; misapply.
  2. to treat badly or abusively; maltreat.

misuse

noun

  1. erroneous, improper, or unorthodox use

    misuse of words

  2. cruel or inhumane treatment
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to use wrongly
  2. to treat badly or harshly
  3. to use (something, esp alcohol, drugs, etc) improperly
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of misuse1

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; mis- 1, use
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The warrants were part of what’s been dubbed Operation Dirty Pond, a probe into the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds allocated for a $24-million aquatic center that hasn’t been built.

From

The judge said the defendant "projected a misleading impression of your healthcare professional status through your misuse of uniforms, health service identity cards and related papers".

From

It estimated that there were 9.6 million incidents of what is described as "headline crime" in 2024 - which includes theft, robbery, criminal damage, fraud, computer misuse, and violence with or without injury.

From

She also said the government will need to pass new legislation that covers synthetic media and AI misuse.

From

"There's enough in the books to jail almost anyone for some technical non-compliance. It's less about actual use and more about the potential for misuse."

From

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