misallocate
verb
mis·al·lo·cate
ˌmis-ˈa-lə-ˌkāt 
misallocated; misallocating
: to allocate (something, such as money or resources) poorly or improperly
allegedly misallocated company funds
Top managers misallocate resources, overpay themselves, and ignore other, possibly better ways of motivating employees—all because giving out options is "free."—
Justin Fox
Justin FoxExamples of misallocate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
She also is separately accused of misallocating over $250,000.
—Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 19 Feb. 2026
At this point, just about any investment in mass education is misallocated—misaligned with the way everyone learns today.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Complicating Kishida’s rule were several scandals, including one in which LDP members were found underreporting and misallocating money from fundraisers, and another involving his son hosting a private party at the official Prime Minister residence.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
Without careful planning, there’s a real risk of overestimating participation rates or misallocating resources.
—Luis D’acosta, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
But in many cases, developing an outsize fear of a rival has led the United States to misallocate government resources, lose sight of the need to nurture its own sources of strength, become distracted by peripheral threats, or even become mired in unnecessary wars.
—Jude Blanchette, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
The authors of that USC paper acknowledged that rent control is a blunt tool that can misallocate capital in housing.
—Star Tribune, 3 July 2021
Industrial policy of this sort would misallocate capital in a way that would slow the economy’s transition to a post-virus new normal.
—Glenn Hubbard, WSJ, 8 Dec. 2020
This will drastically misallocate necessary funding for services such as public health and education, harming those most vulnerable.
—Adam Eichen, The New Republic, 27 June 2019
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Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 19 Feb. 2026
At this point, just about any investment in mass education is misallocated—misaligned with the way everyone learns today.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Complicating Kishida’s rule were several scandals, including one in which LDP members were found underreporting and misallocating money from fundraisers, and another involving his son hosting a private party at the official Prime Minister residence.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
Without careful planning, there’s a real risk of overestimating participation rates or misallocating resources.
—Luis D’acosta, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
But in many cases, developing an outsize fear of a rival has led the United States to misallocate government resources, lose sight of the need to nurture its own sources of strength, become distracted by peripheral threats, or even become mired in unnecessary wars.
—Jude Blanchette, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
The authors of that USC paper acknowledged that rent control is a blunt tool that can misallocate capital in housing.
—Star Tribune, 3 July 2021
Industrial policy of this sort would misallocate capital in a way that would slow the economy’s transition to a post-virus new normal.
—Glenn Hubbard, WSJ, 8 Dec. 2020
This will drastically misallocate necessary funding for services such as public health and education, harming those most vulnerable.
—Adam Eichen, The New Republic, 27 June 2019
Cite this Entry
“Misallocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misallocate. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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