out of phase

1. The situation that exists when there is a phase difference between (a) two synchronized signals or (b) two signals that have identical frequencies. 2. In a sequence of phased or timed events, the situation that exists when an event occurs at a time when it should not have occurred, such as when the pulses of the pump in a pumped laser do not occur at the proper instant relative to the operating frequency, i.e., the operating wavelength, of the laser. 3. In an electronic circuit that contains reactive elements, pertaining to the relationship between the phases of the applied alternating voltage and the resulting alternating current. See alsoalternating current, capacitive reactance, circuit, event, frequency, inductive reactance, in-phase, instant, laser, phase, phase difference, pulse, pump frequency, pumping, reactance, sequence, signal, synchronism, timing, voltage, wavelength.