English Reference

Word

mismanagement

Phoneticsmis·man·age·ment

US/mɪsˈmænɪdʒmənt/

UK/mɪsmˈænɪdʒmənt/

Definition

n. the act of running a business or a situation badly. It usually means someone in charge made poor decisions or was not organized.

n. the process of managing something in an incompetent, inefficient, or dishonest manner. Often implies a failure of leadership or administrative oversight.

Examples

“The company failed because of poor financial mismanagement.”

“The local government faced heavy criticism for its mismanagement of the public transport budget last year.”

“The report concluded that systemic mismanagement within the department led to a complete breakdown of communication during the crisis, ultimately resulting in significant financial losses.”

Examples

simple

“The company failed because of poor financial mismanagement.”

contextual

“The local government faced heavy criticism for its mismanagement of the public transport budget last year.”

complex

“The report concluded that systemic mismanagement within the department led to a complete breakdown of communication during the crisis, ultimately resulting in significant financial losses.”

Usage

Primarily uncountable when referring to the general concept; occasionally countable when referring to specific instances or cases.

Real-World Examples

“The Royal College of Psychiatrists is issuing a public apology for what it says is decades of mismanagement and misdiagnosis in the UK.”
BBC News · 26 Aug 2026
“Once a major exporter of fuel, the country had seen a decline in its natural gas production, with mismanagement, depleted reserves and a lack of new exploration cited among the reasons.”
Al Jazeera · 21 Aug 2026

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/mismanagement

English Reference