Took or used something without permission, or officially set aside money for a specific purpose.
From Latin 'appropriare' (to make one's own), combining 'ad-' (to) and 'proprius' (own/proper). It has two distinct meanings: wrongful taking or official allocation.
In government, 'appropriations' committees formally decide which taxpayer dollars go to which programs—billions of dollars are 'appropriated' every year. Meanwhile, 'appropriation' in art and culture is hotly debated when artists use others' cultural symbols or styles.
Appropriation has gendered dimensions: women's intellectual/artistic work was historically 'appropriated' by male creditors and publishers (e.g., women writers published under male pseudonyms or male family members claimed authorship). Contemporary usage often centers on cultural appropriation but erases these gendered histories.
Use precisely: distinguish between citation erasure, sexual coercion, colonial theft, and cultural borrowing. Acknowledge gendered patterns in appropriation.
Recognition work: women's mathematics (Hedy Lamarr's frequency-hopping; Katherine Johnson's calculations) and scientific discoveries were systematically appropriated by male colleagues; modern attribution corrections are justice, not charity.
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