malformation
Americannoun
noun
-
the condition of being faulty or abnormal in form or shape
-
pathol a deformity in the shape or structure of a part, esp when congenital
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of malformation
Explanation
A malformation is something that doesn't have a normal shape or structure. A baby born with a heart malformation may need surgery to correct it so that her heart functions properly. Malformation is commonly used in medicine for body parts that aren't formed in the typical way. Many of these are congenital malformations, which develop before a baby is born. Frequently, malformations result in nothing more than different-looking bodies, but sometimes they're serious enough to cause problems, like a brain malformation that causes bleeding or a palate malformation that makes eating a challenge. Mal- means "bad," and here it's added to formation, "act of being formed."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Following his 2005 breakout season, he was diagnosed with Müller-Weiss syndrome, which causes a malformation of the navicular bone in the midfoot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Surgeons woke Tilly for about 30 minutes so they could map those parts of her brain in real time and protect vital tissue while removing the malformation.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Certain pregnancies were excluded from both groups, including those that ended before 37 weeks, involved multiple babies, or resulted in a child with a major congenital malformation.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 15, 2026
Anencephaly is a fatal congenital malformation where major parts of the brain and skull fail to form.
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024
The X-rays showed a certain malformation of the uterus, I remember, which meant she could never have had a child, but that was quite apart, it had nothing to do with the disease.”
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
