misallocate

Upper-Intermediate (B2)

IPA: /ˌmɪs.əˈlæk.eɪt/

KK: /mɪsˈæl.ə.keɪt/

transitive verb

Definition

To distribute resources or funds in a wrong or improper way.

Example

The company misallocated its budget, leading to financial difficulties.

Tense Forms

Past: misallocated

Past Participle: misallocated

Conversation

I heard the company might misallocate their budget this year.

Really? That sounds like a big mistake!

Yeah, if they do, it could affect all of our projects.

I hope they don't, or we might end up in trouble.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

misassign

misdirect

misuse

Antonyms

allocate

assign

distribute

Root Explanation

Misallocate → It is formed from "mis-" (meaning wrongly) and "allocate" (from Latin "allocare", meaning to assign or distribute). The word "misallocate" means to wrongly assign or distribute resources or responsibilities.

Memory Tip

Think of doing something 'wrongly' ('mis-') when you 'assign' ('allocate') resources — that's why misallocate means to assign them incorrectly.

Visually Confused Words

mislocate