misalign: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 / Low frequencyFormal/Technical
Quick answer
What does “misalign” mean?
To cause something to be out of proper or precise alignment.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To cause something to be out of proper or precise alignment; to place or arrange incorrectly relative to something else.
To cause a lack of coordination or agreement between systems, plans, or interests.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Both varieties use 'misaligned' as the common adjectival form.
Connotations
Neutral/descriptive in both, implying a technical or strategic fault.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both dialects, confined to technical, business, and academic registers.
Grammar
How to Use “misalign” in a Sentence
misalign A with Bmisalign A and Bbe misalignedVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “misalign” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Poor installation can misalign the satellite dish.
- If you misalign the printer's rollers, you'll get paper jams.
- The new policy risks misaligning national and local priorities.
American English
- Hitting the curb can misalign your car's front wheels.
- The contract clauses misalign risk and reward for the smaller partner.
- Don't misalign the optical lens with the sensor.
adverb
British English
- The parts were fitted misalignedly, causing immediate failure. (Very rare)
American English
- The bracket was attached misalignedly. (Very rare)
adjective
British English
- The misaligned paving stones created a tripping hazard.
- We are working with misaligned departmental budgets.
- A misaligned bite can cause jaw pain.
American English
- The mechanic fixed the misaligned chassis.
- Misaligned incentives led to poor sales performance.
- The project failed due to misaligned expectations from the start.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to a situation where business goals, departmental strategies, or employee incentives are not properly coordinated.
Academic
Used in engineering, optics, and social sciences to describe a lack of correspondence between variables or components.
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation. Might be used for physical objects like car wheels or cupboard doors.
Technical
Common in mechanics, dentistry, and computing to describe parts that are not correctly positioned relative to each other.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “misalign”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “misalign”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “misalign”
- Using it intransitively (e.g., 'The gears misalign' – better: 'The gears become misaligned').
- Confusing with 'misallied' (wrongly allied).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While common in mechanical contexts, it is frequently used abstractly for strategies, interests, and systems that are out of sync.
'Disalign' is very rare and not standard. 'Misalign' is the correct and only widely accepted term for causing a lack of alignment.
The verb form is 'misalign'. The adjective form is the past participle 'misaligned' (e.g., a misaligned joint).
Yes, the noun is 'misalignment' (e.g., a spinal misalignment, a strategic misalignment).
To cause something to be out of proper or precise alignment.
Misalign is usually formal/technical in register.
Misalign: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmɪs.əˈlaɪn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmɪs.əˈlaɪn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to the verb 'misalign'.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'MISS the ALIGNment'. You aimed for alignment but missed the mark.
Conceptual Metaphor
ALIGNMENT IS AGREEMENT/ORDER; MISALIGNMENT IS DISCORD/CHAOS.
Practice
Quiz
In a business context, what does it mean if 'team incentives are misaligned with company objectives'?