Sentence:  Few concepts are as emotionally charged as that of race. The word conjures up a mixture of associations—culture, ethnicity, genetics, subjugation, exclusion and persecution. But is the tragic history of efforts to define groups of people by race really a matter of the misuse of science, the <WSD>abuse</WSD> of a valid biological concept? 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Misuse; improper use; perversion. (from mid 16th c.)