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to misinform

to misinform

35 4.8
To give someone wrong information, often by mistake
  • verb
  • /ˌmɪsɪnˈfɔrm/
translation icon : informar erróneamente
  • She was misinformed about the meeting time and showed up two hours late.
  • misinform readers
  • often misinformed

I think, I think we're getting profoundly misinformed by the the tools we've built.

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Examples

  • A journalist that covers economics, without being educated in the subject, can cause harm by misinforming his readers.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The respondents held unfavorable opinions of people who stutter and often were misinformed about the etiology of stuttering.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Additionally, these programs have also been shown to misinform their students.

    Academic text (2011)
  • If this report is accurate, it suggests that our government is paying for schools to misinform our youth.

    Academic text (2011)
  • I must have been misinformed.

  • Others have said voters were simply misinformed or confused about what they needed to do.

    Blog text (4)
  • Albert, my boy, we were misinformed.

  • Unfortunately, both the general public and many genetic counselors are misinformed about life with a disability.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Many Americans, even lawyers, are misinformed about the U.S. citizenship naturalization process, says San Diego immigration lawyer Robert Martino.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Each group's perceptions of the other groups of interviewees were generally misinformed and at times overtly judgmental.

    Academic text (2009)

Synonyms

to lie
vsto misinform
1.3

To say something that is not true to trick someone

often occurs without that intention and is not always a deliberate act
to distort
vsto misinform
97 4.6

To change facts so they become false or misleading

involves giving wrong information but not always by changing meanings
to mislead
vsto misinform
87 3.9

Make someone believe something that is not true

focuses on supplying inaccurate information rather than causing belief
to misrepresent
vsto misinform
71 6.9

Give a false story about someone or something to trick people

means giving wrong information but often without deliberate deceit
to delude
vsto misinform
48 6.3

Make someone believe something that is not true

can happen without intent to deceive, unlike deliberate belief manipulation
to misstate
vsto misinform
14 6.2

To say or report something that is not correct

is about giving wrong information, especially unintentionally
to fudge
vsto misinform
11 7.5

To change numbers or facts dishonestly to hide the truth

can be accidental rather than a deliberate dishonest presentation
to mischaracterize
vsto misinform
  • US
10 8.0

To describe a person or thing unfairly

is about supplying incorrect information broadly, not only descriptions
to misdirect
vsto misinform
5 6.0

To send someone the wrong way or give wrong directions

is about giving inaccurate information generally, not only directions
to bend the truth
vsto misinform
3 5.9

To say something that is not exactly what happened to make it look better

may be unintentional rather than a small deliberate change
to miseducate
vsto misinform
1 8.1

To teach someone wrong information that can cause harm

is broader, applying to wrong information beyond formal education
to misguide
vsto misinform
1 4.3

To give someone wrong advice or directions that lead them to make mistakes

refers to supplying wrong information itself, not just guidance
to misteach
vsto misinform
7.2

Give someone wrong information when explaining something

covers wrong information in any context, not only instruction
to fudge the details
vsto misinform
  • Informal
7.7

Change facts on purpose to make something seem better

is broader, including accidental delivery of inaccurate details

How Accurate

to verify
251 3.5
to inform
1.0
to misinform
35 4.8
to lie
1.3

Surface Forms

misinform infinitive
misinformed past participle
misinforming present participle
misinforms third person singular

Morphology

misinform = inform (transparent) = mis + inform

The meaning is directly built from the productive prefix 'mis-' (wrongly) + 'inform' (to give information), yielding 'to give false or inaccurate information'.

Etymology

The word misinform is made of mis- ('wrong') and inform ('to give information'), the same mis- you see in mistake or misunderstand. So, to misinform someone is to give them 'wrong' or 'inaccurate' information, often without meaning to.