appropriation.

1. Taking something for one's own use, often without permission or acknowledgment.

2. Money or resources formally assigned for a particular purpose.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• cultural appropriation
• appropriation of property

On the page

The essay distinguishes exchange from the appropriation of another's work.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Usually uncountable; no ordinary plural in this sense. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation, evaluation. Commonness: moderately common.