What does mismanage mean?
Mismanage means to manage something badly, especially when the person or organization responsible for it fails to organize people, money, systems, or resources effectively. The word is commonly used in reporting on governments, companies, schools, hospitals, and other institutions, where it suggests not merely an isolated error but a broader failure of control or judgment. For example, a newspaper might report that officials mismanaged the response to a crisis or that a company mismanaged its finances. Mismanage has a strongly critical tone and often implies that poor decisions caused waste, confusion, or harm. It is related to mishandle, which is broader, and to mismanagement, the noun describing the condition or policy of managing badly. The prefix “mis-” means “wrongly,” making the word especially effective when discussing preventable administrative failures.
verbTo manage or handle something badly, badly organized, or in an ineffective way. It often implies failure to control a situation, institution, organization, or process.
- To manage or handle something badly or inefficiently, especially an organization, system, economy, or set of resources.
"The new administration was accused of mismanaging the country's healthcare system."
"The committee mismanaged the project and failed to meet its deadlines."
"She argued that the government had mismanaged the funding for public hospitals."
Mismanage combines the familiar prefix “mis-” with “manage,” making it a useful one-word warning about the consequences of poor organization and control.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mismanage come from?
Mismanage was formed in the 19th century by combining the prefix mis-, meaning “wrongly” or “badly,” with the verb manage. Manage itself developed through French and ultimately from Latin elements referring to the hand and action or control. The related noun management and the agent noun manager share this origin, as do other words connected with handling, guidance, and movement.
Related word forms
How mismanage is actually used
Common in journalism, politics, business, and formal criticism. It generally implies a persistent failure in administration rather than a single accidental mistake, and it can have serious or blame-bearing connotations.
Easily confused with mismanage
Mismanage focuses on poor management or handling, whereas misconduct refers to improper or unethical behavior, including behavior that may not involve management at all.
Mishandle is the broader word for handling something incorrectly or carelessly, while mismanage specifically suggests failure to manage a person, system, organization, or process.