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

See Examples For:

maladjustment

Possibly the movie’s intended audience of angsty young women will find much to relate to in this portrait of maladjustment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

To be clear: I am not suggesting that intelligence across the full range of scores is generally related to maladjustment.

From Scientific American ● Feb. 10, 2019

Studies show that child survivors of a parent’s suicide might as adults be susceptible to depression, social maladjustment and post-traumatic stress disorder.

From Golf Digest ● Jul. 12, 2018

It attempts to make him face up to the human condition as it really is, to free him from illusions that are bound to cause constant maladjustment and disappointment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2016

By 1977, Scruggs had written articles for The Washington Post and Military Medicine exposing the maladjustment of veterans who’d seen heavy combat.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

• insanity
• mental disorder