What does misadjustment mean?
Misadjustment means an adjustment that is wrong, incomplete, or poorly calibrated. The word can describe both the act of adjusting incorrectly and the resulting faulty condition. It is commonly used for machinery, instruments, technical settings, and organized systems, although it can also refer to less tangible arrangements such as schedules, controls, or procedures. In a mechanical context, a misadjustment may cause poor performance, unusual noise, excessive wear, or failure to operate as intended. In an administrative or organizational sense, it suggests that a system has been tuned or configured in a way that does not achieve the desired outcome. The term is more formal and precise than a general description of something being “wrong” or “off,” while being less specialized than terms such as miscalibration, which is reserved more specifically for measurement devices and systems. Its usefulness lies in identifying a problem that may require correction rather than complete replacement.
nounThe act of adjusting something incorrectly, or the result of such an adjustment. It can refer to a mistaken change in a mechanism, setting, plan, or arrangement.
- An incorrect or mistaken adjustment of a device, setting, arrangement, or system.
"A small misadjustment in the lens mechanism caused the images to remain blurred."
"The technician corrected a misadjustment in the valve assembly."
"The report attributed the failures to a systematic misadjustment of the heating controls."
The regular plural is used when referring to multiple instances of an incorrect adjustment.
"The engineers identified several misadjustments in the control system."
Sometimes a small misadjustment matters more than a dramatic failure: a fraction of a turn can change an entire result.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does misadjustment come from?
The word was formed in English by combining the prefix mis-, meaning wrongly or incorrectly, with adjustment, a word derived from the Latin adjustare, “to set close to” or “to arrange one thing beside another.” The compound reflects the same English pattern found in words such as misjudge and miscalculate. The modern form dates from the 19th century and retains the sense of making an improper adjustment.
Related word forms
How misadjustment is actually used
This is a formal and relatively uncommon noun. It is especially appropriate for technical or administrative contexts in which a setting or arrangement has been adjusted incorrectly.
Easily confused with misadjustment
A misadjustment is an incorrect adjustment, whereas a miscalibration is specifically an incorrect calibration of a measuring instrument or system.