misadjustment
misadjustment Lexical Profile
misadjustment Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The state, act, or result of adjusting something incorrectly, especially referring to mechanical parts or systemic calibrations.
"The engineer determined that a slight misadjustment in the optical sensor was causing the automated assembly line to fail."
A failure to adapt properly to a new environment, social situation, or set of conditions.
"After the abrupt corporate merger, there was a predictable period of misadjustment among the newly integrated staff."
Word Nuance & Usage
While closely related to 'maladjustment', 'misadjustment' is most frequently applied to physical, mechanical, or technical errors in calibration, whereas 'maladjustment' is strictly preferred for psychological or social difficulties.
• Rhymes for misadjustment
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in English during the mid-19th century by combining the prefix 'mis-' (meaning wrong) with 'adjustment', which traces back to the Old French 'ajustement' and Late Latin 'adjuxtare' (to bring near).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.