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I'm trying to articulate a question on stackoverflow. In the question, I state that I'm designing an API, and I want to minimize "misusability" within that API. "Misusability" is not a word, as far as I know, so I'm asking whether there is another word that can communicate something along the lines of "misusable" or "not misusable".

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    "minimize the chance/likelihood of misuse"?
    – Catija
    Aug 2, 2015 at 22:35
  • or "minimize the scope for misuse"
    – Avon
    Aug 2, 2015 at 22:48
  • Pervertible is a word; so pervertibility should be - dictionary.reference.com has it. It has sexual/moral connotations though that might not be desirable. That's the best I can come up with a for single word.
    – Avon
    Aug 3, 2015 at 0:07
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    I might use the phrase "susceptibility to misuse."
    – Sven Yargs
    Aug 3, 2015 at 4:59

1 Answer 1

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Perhaps misapplication or misapplicability will work for you.

misapplication noun: incorrect or improper use. "this silly gossiping is a serious misapplication of your time." (Merriam-Webster online)

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  • I think misapplication is just synonymous with misuse and would still require words to indicate the ability to be misapplied (so misuse would be better). To include the ability the answer would need to be misapplicability but that sounds like the opposite of applicability, which is more about the API being unsuitable than misused.
    – Avon
    Aug 2, 2015 at 23:14
  • @LittleEva Avon is right. I'm not looking for a synonym for misuse, but a way to describe the tendency or ability to be misused. Aug 2, 2015 at 23:47
  • Something like, misapply? Some situation where something is applied inappropriately?
    – user98990
    Aug 2, 2015 at 23:48
  • The ability of it to be misapplied/misused if I understand correctly.
    – Avon
    Aug 2, 2015 at 23:53

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