appropriation

noun

ap·​pro·​pri·​a·​tion ə-ˌprō-prē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce appropriation (audio)
1
: an act or instance of appropriating something
2
: something that has been appropriated
specifically : money set aside by formal action for a specific use
the city's appropriation for schools
appropriative adjective

Examples of appropriation in a Sentence

the appropriation of funds to repair the bridge The economy has been weakened by the appropriation of the country's resources by corrupt officials.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images So, with the blessing of his boss, Rep. Sidney Yates, D-Ill., Alderman inserted some language in the appropriations process: The Committee has provided no funding for crowd counting activities associated with gatherings held on federal property in Washington, D.C. Tamara Keith, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025 The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which subsidizes utility costs for qualifying households, was allocated $3.7 billion as part of an appropriations bill President Joe Biden signed in September. J.j. McCorvey, NBC News, 8 Jan. 2025 However, the agency scored a big victory earlier this year when the Supreme Court turned down an effort by a payday lending trade group to declare the bureau’s structure unconstitutional because it is funded by bank fees instead of congressional appropriations. Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025 One of Congress’ highest priorities, a new defense appropriations bill, was passed late last year. William A. Haseltine, TIME, 3 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for appropriation 

Word History

Etymology

see appropriate entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of appropriation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near appropriation

Cite this Entry

“Appropriation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appropriation. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

appropriation

noun
ap·​pro·​pri·​a·​tion ə-ˌprō-prē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce appropriation (audio)
1
: an act or instance of appropriating
2
: a sum of money appropriated for a specific use

More from Merriam-Webster on appropriation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!