maladjustment

American  

[mal-uh-juhst-muhnt] / ˌmæl əˈdʒʌst mənt /

noun

1. bad or unsatisfactory adjustment.

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maladjustment British  

/ ˌmæləˈdʒʌstmənt /

noun

1. psychol a failure to meet the demands of society, such as coping with problems and social relationships: usually reflected in emotional instability

2. faulty or bad adjustment

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maladjustment Cultural  

1. Inability to react successfully and satisfactorily to the demands of one's environment. Though the term applies to a wide range of biological and social conditions, it often implies an individual's failure to meet social or cultural expectations. In psychology, the term generally refers to unsatisfactory behavior patterns that cause anxiety and require psychotherapy.

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Etymology

Origin of maladjustment

First recorded in 1825–35; mal- + adjustment

Example Sentences

He spoke of his own "maladjustment" to segregation, religious bigotry, the "madness of militarism" and "the self-defeating effects of physical violence," half-jokingly urged the formation of an "International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment."

From Time Magazine Archive

Maladjustment of land uses has resulted from mistaken judgment, from changing conditions as to prices, transportation, and markets, and from loss of soil fertility.

From Modern Economic Problems Economics Volume II by Fetter, Frank Albert

Related Words

• insanity
• mental disorder