abuse / misuse
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misuse / abuse
The wrong, harmful, or unlawful use of something, for example power, trust, or substances.
Der Missbrauch von Medikamenten kann gefährliche Nebenwirkungen haben.
The misuse of medication can have dangerous side effects.
abuse
The physical, emotional, or especially sexual mistreatment of a person.
Er wurde wegen schweren sexuellen Missbrauchs von Kindern angeklagt.
He was charged with severe sexual abuse of children.
abuse of power
The exploitation of a position or office for one's own advantage; abuse of office.
Dem Beamten wird der Missbrauch seiner Stellung zur persönlichen Bereicherung vorgeworfen.
The official is accused of abusing his position for personal enrichment.
The word is made up of the prefix 'miss-' and the word 'Gebrauch' (use). The prefix 'miss-' always means that something is wrong, bad, or negative, as in 'Missverständnis' (misunderstanding) or 'Misserfolg' (failure).
Der Prozess drehte sich um den Missbrauch von Firmengeldern.
The trial centered on the misuse of company funds.
'Missbrauch' (abuse/misuse) is very often used with the preposition 'von' and the dative to describe what is being abused or misused. The structure is: 'der Missbrauch von etwas' (the abuse/misuse of something).
Der Missbrauch von persönlichen Daten muss verhindert werden.
The misuse of personal data must be prevented.
Common combinations for the general, unlawful use are 'der Missbrauch von Macht' (abuse of power), 'von Vertrauen' (of trust), 'von Alkohol' (of alcohol), or 'von Daten' (of data).
Der Film thematisiert den Machtmissbrauch in der Politik.
The film addresses the abuse of power in politics.
In combination with adjectives like 'sexuell' (sexual), 'körperlich' (physical), or 'emotional' (emotional), or with the noun 'Kindern' (children), 'Missbrauch' (abuse) refers to the serious crime of mistreatment. This context is legally and emotionally very charged.
Kindesmissbrauch ist ein schreckliches Verbrechen, das streng bestraft wird.
Child abuse is a terrible crime that is severely punished.
corruption
Missbrauch refers to the impermissible use of an office for one's own benefit and can also describe a single act without bribery. Korruption concerns dishonest gain from a position of public or economic power, for example through bribery.
Der Beamte nutzte seine Zugriffsrechte privat, was ein Missbrauch seines Amtes war.
The official used his access rights for private purposes, which was an abuse of his office.
Der Beamte nahm für eine Genehmigung Geld an und wurde wegen Korruption untersucht.
The official accepted money for issuing a permit and was investigated for corruption.
