Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Of or relating to the act of taking something for oneself: Describes something that is characterized by or involves the act of appropriating, which means taking possession of something, often without permission or for one's own use.
   • Given to taking for oneself: Describes a person, behavior, or tendency that is inclined to seize or claim things for personal use or benefit.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The company's appropriative practices involved using public domain research without proper attribution.
  • His appropriative attitude towards shared resources caused tension within the team.
  • The law was designed to prevent the appropriative use of cultural symbols by commercial entities.

Advanced Usage

• Legal/Judicial Context: Often used in legal, academic, or critical discourse to describe actions related to taking property, ideas, or cultural elements.
  • The court examined whether the defendant's actions were appropriative under the statute.
• Cultural Criticism: Used to critique the act of taking elements from a minority culture by a dominant culture.
  • The film was criticized for its appropriative portrayal of indigenous traditions.

Variants and Related Words

• Appropriate (verb): To take something for one's own use, typically without the owner's permission; to set aside for a particular purpose.
• Appropriation (noun): The act of taking something for one's own use, often without permission; the action of setting something aside for a particular purpose.
• Appropriator (noun): A person who appropriates something.

Synonyms

• Acquisitive: Excessively interested in acquiring money or material things.
• Expropriative: Relating to the act of taking property from its owner for public use or benefit.
• Usurping: Taking (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force.

Antonyms

• Renunciative: Relating to the formal rejection of something, typically a belief, claim, or course of action.
• Relinquishing: Voluntarily giving up or letting go of something.

Related Phrases

• Appropriative act: A specific action of taking something for oneself.
  • The appropriative act of claiming the invention was later proven fraudulent.
• Appropriative behavior: A pattern of conduct focused on taking things.
  • The manager's appropriative behavior with employee ideas led to low morale.

Adjective

1. of or relating to or given to the act of taking for yourself