Misuse

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /mɪsˈjuːs/

Definitions

1. To employ or apply something in an incorrect or inappropriate manner, leading to errors or problems ; to use an object, resource, or privilege in a way that causes harm or is morally wrong
2. To put something to work in a way that is not intended or suitable, often resulting in negative consequences ; to treat something improperly by diverting it to an unethical or damaging use
3. To handle or operate something in a faulty or unsuitable way, producing undesired results ; to exploit or manage something wrongly, causing harm, injustice, or waste

Etymology: "Misuse" is about as transparent as English compounds get: the prefix "mis-", meaning wrongly or badly, attached to "use." The prefix comes from Old English, where it carried the sense of error or failure, and it appears in a long run of words such as "misjudge," "mislead" and "misplace." The word can be built from either the noun "use" or the verb "use," which is why it works as both a noun and a verb today. Because "use" itself passed into English from Old French and Latin, the compound is a native English prefix joined to a borrowed root. The meaning stays close to the parts: to apply something wrongly, and in its moral sense, to use something in a way that does harm. Nothing in the word's history has pulled it far from its literal construction.

Synonyms: abuse, misapply, mismanage, misemploy, exploit

Antonyms: use, utilize, employ, apply, manage