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misallocate

American  
[mis-al-uh-keyt] / mɪsˈæl əˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

misallocated, misallocating
  1. to allocate mistakenly or improperly.

    to misallocate resources.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of misallocate

mis- 1 + allocate

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.

See Examples For:

If we misallocate capital, we absorb the loss.

From The Wall Street Journal May 11, 2026

If anyone in crypto billed themselves as the kind of actors who wouldn’t incinerate, misallocate, or steal customers’ money, it was Bankman-Fried and FTX.

From Slate Oct. 3, 2023

Unlike the center, we don't have the resources to misallocate and we do face real constraints.

From Salon Sep. 24, 2020

Governments could hardly misallocate resources that would otherwise be unemployed.

From Economist Dec. 17, 2014

The Depository Trust Clearing Corp, the organization responsible for allocating and adjusting the share count, said it did not misallocate shares.

From Reuters Jul. 28, 2010

The second is that bubbles suck in investor capital and lead it to be misallocated, slowing the growth of the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 2, 2026

This can be supported by identifying which skills are becoming obsolete, where new capabilities are emerging and where talent is being misallocated.

From MarketWatch Jan. 13, 2026

Moore added she fears that all the investments going into technological solutions to loneliness are going to be misallocated, which could ultimately keep people from seeking out real human connections.

From Salon May 21, 2023

He testified to the committee about a practice he said some team executives called “juicing,” in which money was intentionally misallocated in the team’s accounting system and used for other purposes.

From New York Times Apr. 12, 2022

Some team executives used the term “juice” to refer to revenue that was intentionally misallocated in the franchise’s accounting system and attributed to unrelated events, the letter says Friedman told the committee.

From Washington Post Apr. 12, 2022

But there are significant risks, the analysts write, given Tesla’s performance to date and the possibility of investors misallocating capital into these sectors.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 7, 2026

In truth, what’s necessary is recognition that our education system is badly misallocating resources and leaving us susceptible to such claims.

From Slate Nov. 16, 2016

It’s about a financial crisis and the structure of our economy, which really has been misallocating capital.”

From New York Times Aug. 8, 2011

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