Misallocate: meaning, definitions and examples

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misallocate

 

[ ˌmɪsˈæl.ə.keɪt ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

business

To allocate (resources) incorrectly or inefficiently.

Synonyms

misapportion, misassign, misdirect, misuse.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
misallocate

This term is appropriate when resources, funds, or tasks are distributed incorrectly or inefficiently.

  • The manager misallocated the budget, leading to shortages in several departments.
  • Time was misallocated during the meeting, so we didn't cover all the topics.
misassign

This word is used when tasks or roles are given to the wrong people or things are placed in incorrect categories.

  • The responsibilities were misassigned, leading to confusion among the staff.
  • The error occurred because the data was misassigned to the wrong category.
misapportion

Use this word when something is unfairly divided or assigned in incorrect portions.

  • The funds were misapportioned, leaving some projects underfunded.
  • The workload was misapportioned, causing stress for certain team members.
misdirect

Apply this term when something is aimed or pointed in the wrong direction, often leading to misunderstanding or mistakes.

  • The email was misdirected to the wrong department.
  • The advice was misdirected, causing more harm than good.
misuse

This word is used when something is used in an incorrect or inappropriate way, often resulting in negative consequences.

  • The employee misused company funds for personal purchases.
  • Misuse of medical equipment can cause serious injuries.

Examples of usage

  • The company misallocated funds, leading to financial difficulties.
  • The team misallocated their time, resulting in missed deadlines.

Translations

Translations of the word "misallocate" in other languages:

🇵🇹 atribuir incorretamente

🇮🇳 गलत तरीके से आवंटित करना

🇩🇪 falsch zuordnen

🇮🇩 mengalokasikan secara salah

🇺🇦 неправильно розподілити

🇵🇱 niewłaściwie przydzielić

🇯🇵 誤配する

🇫🇷 mal attribuer

🇪🇸 asignar incorrectamente

🇹🇷 yanlış tahsis etmek

🇰🇷 잘못 배정하다

🇸🇦 تخصيص بشكل غير صحيح

🇨🇿 nesprávně přidělit

🇸🇰 nesprávne prideliť

🇨🇳 错误分配

🇸🇮 napačno dodeliti

🇮🇸 úthluta rangt

🇰🇿 дұрыс бөлмеу

🇬🇪 არასწორად განაწილება

🇦🇿 yanlış təyin etmək

🇲🇽 asignar incorrectamente

Etymology

The word 'misallocate' is a combination of 'mis-' meaning 'badly' or 'wrongly' and 'allocate' meaning 'to distribute'. It first appeared in the mid-19th century in English, derived from the Latin word 'allocare' which means 'to appoint'. The concept of misallocating resources has been a common issue in various fields, especially in business and economics.

See also: allocatable, allocate, allocated, allocating, allocation, reallocate, reallocation, unallocated, underallocation.