A malformation is when something grows or develops in an unusual or incorrect way, different from how it's supposed to be shaped.

Doctors use this word to describe body parts that didn't form normally before birth. A baby might be born with a heart malformation where the chambers aren't quite the right size, or a hand malformation where fingers didn't separate properly. These differences can be minor, or they might need medical treatment.

The word also applies beyond medicine. An engineer might spot a malformation in a metal part that came out of the factory bent or misshapen. A scientist studying crystals might notice a malformation where the crystal didn't grow in its usual geometric pattern.

Malformation describes the state of being incorrectly formed, while malformed is the adjective that describes something with this problem. A potter might accidentally create a malformed bowl that came out lopsided on the wheel. Understanding malformations helps doctors, engineers, and scientists figure out what went wrong in the development process and sometimes how to prevent or correct these issues.