malformation

The word "malformation" refers to an abnormal form or structure that developed incorrectly from the beginning. It usually points to a problem in how something was formed, rather than damage that happened later. That is an important difference: a deformation often happens after normal formation, while a malformation begins during the formation itself.

You'll most commonly see "malformation" in medical writing. Doctors use it for congenital abnormalities, such as a heart malformation, a brain malformation, or another condition found before or after birth. In this setting, the word is technical but common, and it usually focuses on the way a body part or system developed.

The word can also be used more broadly for an abnormal physical structure in a nonliving thing, though that use is less common. For example, someone might speak of a defect in a cast, mold, or built part as a malformation if the flaw came from the way it was made. The idea is still the same: the problem started in the making, not from later wear or damage.

In figurative use, "malformation" is possible, but it is much less common than the physical sense. Most learners should understand the word first as a medical or structural term. Its roots help make the meaning clear: mal- means bad, and formation refers to the process of being formed. So the word describes something that took shape in the wrong way.