WordGarden.iomisalign
C2Pronunciation
UK
US
- /mɪsəlˈaɪn/
Meanings
Verb
to place or leave something out of proper line or position
to make things fail to match or work together properly
Beyond the definition
Imagine building with LEGOs: when the pieces are perfectly aligned, they snap together easily. But when things misalign, they sit crooked, shift out of place, or simply do not fit. This can be literal, like a wheel on a car being misaligned and causing the vehicle to pull to one side. It can also be figurative: your values might misalign with those of the company you work for, creating tension. Think of it as things being out of sync or not working together as they should.
Sometimes it is not about something being broken, but about things not matching well. A politician's promises might misalign with their actions, or your expectations for a movie might misalign with what you actually see. The word suggests a gap between what should fit together and what does not.
To misalign means to place things incorrectly in relation to each other, or to cause something to move out of its proper position. This can apply to physical objects, such as car wheels after hitting a pothole: "The mechanic said my wheels were badly misaligned, which was causing uneven tire wear." It can also describe abstract situations in which different parts no longer match or work well together.
Misalignment is not always about something being morally wrong. More often, it points to a lack of fit, balance, or consistency. For example, if someone's personal beliefs begin to misalign with a company's policies, the two sides are no longer moving in the same direction. That kind of mismatch often leads to stress or conflict. You might also say that project goals misalign with available resources, meaning the plan does not match the support needed to make it work.
In a broader sense, misalign suggests a clear disconnect between expectations and reality. If you carefully plan a surprise party for a friend who hates surprises, the event may misalign with their preferences.
The word often implies a need for correction or adjustment: realigning wheels, changing goals, or finding common ground. It is about noticing when things are out of sync and taking steps to bring them back into better order. Whether it involves a physical object or an abstract idea, misalign describes a state in which things are not lined up, not matching, or not set up to work well together.
Examples
- 1
Vehicle alignment
After the crash, the car's wheels were slightly misaligned.
- 2
Assembly
If you tighten one side first, you can misalign the frame.
- 3
Page layout
The software update misaligned the text with the images on the page.
- Patternmisalign X with Y
put two things in the wrong position compared with each other
- 4
Business goals
The new bonus system is misaligned with the company's long-term goals.
- Patternbe misaligned with
not fit or work well with
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Team incentives
Their incentives are misaligned, so the two teams keep pulling in different directions.
- Phrasepull in different directions
try to achieve different things
See also
Similar
- skew
- put out of line
- throw off
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- misalign the wheels
- misalign text
- misalign incentives
Word family
- misaligned
- misalignment
Explore
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- misalignverb