misallocation

noun

mis·​al·​lo·​ca·​tion ˌmis-ˌa-lə-ˈkā-shən 

plural misallocations

: the act or an instance of misallocating something (such as money or resources) : poor or improper allocation

misallocation of tax dollars

And there are many who would say that any interference with a free market system … inevitably results in misallocations of resources just because planners cannot be omniscient.

—R. Weiss et al.

Examples of misallocation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Identify where ratios are skewed whether due to understaffing or misallocation and rebalance workloads to maximize care quality and staff sustainability. —Kunal Khashu, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

Regardless of the precise cause, India’s economic rise is best understood as the result of correcting misallocation: the type of growth that can come from picking low-hanging fruit. —Abhijit V. Banerjee, Foreign Affairs, 3 Dec. 2019

This represents a misallocation of payroll dollars and a clear indication that employee engagement strategies are failing. —Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

Europe’s predicament completes this global triangle of talent misallocation. —Moin Roberts-Islam, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for misallocation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration