maladjustment

[mal-uh-juhst-muh nt] /ˌmæl əˈdʒʌst mənt/
noun
1.
bad or unsatisfactory adjustment.
Origin
1825-35; mal- + adjustment
Examples from the web for maladjustment
  • They arise largely from the fact that the war itself was a manifestation of a larger maladjustment.
  • Their maladjustment to poverty and the broken homes of their childhood results in stealing and serious crime as a way of life.
  • It sought to reduce a heinous act to social maladjustment.
  • Although they may have stemmed from personal maladjustment, they were central to his conduct as a politician.
  • Improve intervention technologies that steer children away from a path of serious maladjustment.
British Dictionary definitions for maladjustment

maladjustment

/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
Word Origin and History for maladjustment
n.

1823, from mal- + adjustment.

maladjustment in Medicine

maladjustment mal·ad·just·ment (māl'ə-jŭst'mənt)
n.

  1. Faulty or inadequate adjustment.

  2. Inability to adjust to the demands of interpersonal relationships and the stresses of daily living.

maladjustment in Culture

maladjustment definition


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.