misalignment

noun

mis·​align·​ment ˌmis-ə-ˈlīn-mənt 

plural misalignments

: the condition of being out of correct position or improperly adjusted : bad or incorrect alignment

Over time, because of damage and wear, typewriters develop faults and misalignments that render their typescript unique.

—Laney Salisbury et al.

… overuse injuries are all too often the consequence of poor technique or misalignment of body parts.

—Jane E. Brody

Examples of misalignment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its work reflects a growing body of evidence that most AI initiatives fail not because the technology doesn’t work, but because leaders underestimate human, organizational, and ethical misalignment. —Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 2026

Together, these problems point to a misalignment between how humans perceive the visual world and how AI represents it. —Arryn Robbins, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026

That misalignment makes the war harder to control and even harder to end. —Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026

That misalignment can become more pronounced when corporate policies, reputational concerns, or global customer pressures conflict with government objectives, a dynamic now visible in the Anthropic dispute. —Barbara Booth, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misalignment

• nonalignment
• realignment
• reassignment
• reconsignment
• alignment
• alinement
• assignment
• confinement
• consignment
• refinement