Misused

Misused is the past participle of misuse and is used as an adjective to describe something that has been used wrongly or inappropriately. In everyday language, it often modifies nouns to indicate improper application: misused words, misused resources, misused authority, or misused tools. The term signals a deviation from intended use rather than mere error, although errors may accompany misuse.

Despite its simplicity, the concept spans many domains. In linguistics and rhetoric, statements about language being misused focus on the inexact or improper use of terms, registers, or phrases, such as using a word out of its normative sense or in a context that obscures meaning.

In data and research, misused data, statistics, or methods refer to information or techniques applied inappropriately, such as selective sampling, biased interpretations, or misapplying a model beyond its assumptions. In governance or law, misused authority or power describes actions exceeding authority, exploiting positions, or acting without legitimate justification. In medicine and public health, misused medications or diagnostics involve incorrect prescribing, inappropriate administration, or use for nonmedical purposes.

Related terms include misuse, which denotes the act of using wrongly, and misnomer, which is an inaccurate or misleading name. The nuance of misused emphasizes the outcome (wrong use) rather than the initial intent, though intent may be relevant to assessments of responsibility and impact.