misuse

[misĀ·use]

Improper or excessive use

...

To treat or use improperly; to use to a bad purpose; to misapply; as, to misuse one's talents.

Noun
improper or excessive use

Verb
change the inherent purpose or function of something; "Don''t abuse the system"; "The director of the factory misused the funds intended for the health care of his workers"

Verb
apply to a wrong thing or person; apply badly or incorrectly; "The words are misapplied in this context"; "You are misapplying the name of this religious group"


v. t.
To treat or use improperly; to use to a bad purpose; to misapply; as, to misuse one's talents.

v. t.
To abuse; to treat ill.

n.
Wrong use; misapplication; erroneous or improper use.

n.
Violence, or its effects.


Misuse

Mis*use" , v. t. [F. m'82suser. See Mis-, prefix from French, and Use.] 1. To treat or use improperly; to use to a bad purpose; to misapply; as, to misuse one's talents. South.
The sweet poison of misused wine.
2. To abuse; to treat ill.
O, she misused me past the endurance of a block.
Syn. -- To maltreat; abuse; misemploy; misapply.

Misuse

Mis*use" , n. 1. Wrong use; misapplication; erroneous or improper use.
Words little suspected for any such misuse.
2. Violence, or its effects. [Obs.] Shak.

To treat or use improperly; to use to a bad purpose; to misapply; as, to misuse one's talents.

Wrong use; misapplication; erroneous or improper use.

...

Usage Examples

This anniversary serves to help remind the American people that, in the wake of one of the greatest political scandals and misuse of power in our history as a nation, scandal produced important reforms that served this nation well for two decades.

Drug misuse is not a disease, it is a decision, like the decision to step out in front of a moving car. You would call that not a disease but an error of judgment.

As a Christian, there is no other part of the New Right ideology that concerns me more than its self-serving misuse of religious faith.

Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn't misuse it.

Misspelled Form

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Other Usage Examples

Making recess appointments when the Senate isn't in recess is neither rational nor moderate. It's a raw misuse of executive power by a president whose love of government is his most vulnerable spot with the electorate.

Every year the Federal Government wastes billions of dollars as a result of overpayments of government agencies, misuse of government credit cards, abuse of the Federal entitlement programs, and the mismanagement of the Federal bureaucracy.

I mean enormous pressure was brought to bear - Valerie Amos, Lady Amos, went round Africa with people from our intelligence services trying to press them. I had to make sure that we didn't promise a misuse of aid in a way that would be illegal.

Unfortunately, religion, like patriotism, is easy to misuse for political purposes.

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