verb
- Apply to a wrong thing or person; apply badly or incorrectly.
- usage: "The words are misapplied in this context"; "You are misapplying the name of this religious group"
- Change the inherent purpose or function of something.
- usage: "Don't abuse the system"; "The director of the factory misused the funds intended for the health care of his workers"
adjective
- Used incorrectly or carelessly or for an improper purpose.
- usage: "misused words are often laughable but one weeps for misused talents"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). misused. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/misused/definitions/1178534 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "misused" http://smartdefine.org/misused/definitions/1178534 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, misused, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/misused/definitions/1178534>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "misused" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/misused/definitions/1178534> |