misalignment

noun

mis·​align·​ment ˌmis-ə-ˈlīn-mənt How to pronounce misalignment (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even a slight misalignment could leave visible defects where colors meet, while four hotends introduce more components that could potentially fail. — New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026 OpenAI’s public tracker of misalignment, or behavior that goes against instructions or safety rules, now lists 19 incidents, ranging from accessing data without permission to making unauthorized changes to business systems. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 Where those priorities conflict, address the misalignment before a recommendation is made. — Alex Kowtun, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026 There’s a lot of hand-wringing about model misalignment after several high-profile hacking incidents over the summer. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for misalignment

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misalignment was in 1870

Rhymes for misalignment

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Browse Nearby Words

misalign
misalignment
misalliance
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misalignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misalignment. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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