misoriented

Misoriented is an adjective describing something that is not oriented correctly or is oriented in the wrong direction relative to a reference. The term combines mis-, indicating error or reversal, with oriented, meaning arranged or positioned with respect to a reference frame. In everyday language, something misoriented may point or face away from its intended direction or alignment.

In scientific contexts, misorientation is used especially in materials science and crystallography to describe the angular difference between the crystallographic orientations of adjacent regions or grains. A grain boundary may be described as misoriented if the neighboring grains have different lattice orientations; the misorientation angle quantifies this difference. Controlling orientation is important because misoriented grains can affect mechanical, electrical, or optical properties. Techniques such as electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) are used to map local orientations and measure misorientation.

Outside materials science, misoriented describes objects or devices that are not aligned correctly: a satellite dish aimed incorrectly, a component installed with incorrect polarity, or a map or compass whose reference frame does not match reality. In common use it is less common in reference to humans’ mental state; disoriented is typically preferred for that sense.

See also: misalignment, orientation, misorientation angle, disorientation.