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misinterpretation

misinterpretation

11 6.0
A wrong understanding of something that leads to wrong conclusions
  • noun
  • /ˌmɪsˌɪntərprɪˈteɪʃən/
translation icon : malinterpretación
  • I wanted to avoid any misinterpretation of my intentions, so I explained my plan clearly.
  • subject to misinterpretation
  • open to misinterpretation
  • avoid misinterpretation

He points out a number of misinterpretations of Stoicism.

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Examples

  • Acting as go-betweens, UN officers can minimize misinterpretation of opposing force intentions and reduce tension and hostility.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Some was richly deserved, while much was based on a cultural misinterpretation of a more complex and dynamic whole.

    Academic text (1995)
  • For me, this is a misinterpretation of the spirit of the standard.

    Academic text (2008)
  • And they think it's that person's issue and misinterpretation of the world.

  • So for instance, misinterpretation of a British forensic report.

  • If you are referring to the past, I doubt her mother will again risk misinterpretation.

  • Not the gist of it, which left room for misinterpretation, but his actual words.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Terms and concepts can be unknown or subject to misinterpretation by respondents.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Despite his important role in Georgia history, time and misinterpretation have obscured many aspects of his life.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Also, there was a general misinterpretation of the outcome of the initial trial of low-dose radiotherapy.

    Academic text (1996)

Synonyms

misunderstanding
vsmisinterpretation
243 1.6

When someone does not understand something correctly and this causes a problem

often highlights the resulting disagreement or confusion from wrong interpretation
misconception
vsmisinterpretation
75 4.2

An idea that is not true because people understand something wrongly

is often a narrower false belief not necessarily from bad reasoning
misperception
vsmisinterpretation
12 6.8

A wrong idea about something

includes the act of explaining the wrong understanding
misreading
vsmisinterpretation
6 4.0

A wrong idea about what someone wrote or said

is a broader wrong interpretation not limited to reading errors
mischaracterization
vsmisinterpretation
  • US
6 8.3

A wrong description that makes a person or event seem bad

adds unfair judgment beyond simple wrong understanding
misapprehension
vsmisinterpretation
5 7.5

A wrong idea about what something means

is the act of interpreting wrongly often with explicit explanation
misimpression
vsmisinterpretation
3 7.5

A wrong idea someone has about something

can imply a lasting false belief rather than a momentary error
misconstruction
vsmisinterpretation
1 8.3

A wrong idea about what someone said or meant

tends to focus on wrong understanding rather than deliberate misrepresentation
misconstrual
vsmisinterpretation
9.3

A wrong idea about what someone says or does

focuses on wrong interpretation including explanation
miscomprehension
vsmisinterpretation
7.9

A failure to understand something correctly

involves a wrong explanation or interpretation of that idea
misprision
vsmisinterpretation
  • Archaic
9.9

A wrong understanding of what someone wrote or said

is the general act of interpreting wrongly not just reporting mistakes

Antonyms

314 4.4

An explanation of what something means

How Accurate

interpretation
314 4.4
misinterpretation
11 6.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

misinterpretation = misinterpret (transparent) = mis + interpret + ation

The noun is formed by adding the productive suffix '-ation' to the verb 'misinterpret', yielding 'the act or result of interpreting wrongly'.

Etymology

The word misinterpretation breaks into mis- 'wrong' and interpret 'to explain or understand', and you can see the same root in interpreter. So a misinterpretation is simply a 'wrong explanation' or 'wrong understanding' of something.