mischaracterization
6
8.3
- noun
- /ˌmɪsˌkɛrɪktəraɪˈzeɪʃən/
- US
- Analogies between the nineteenth century and the twenty-first are based on a severe mischaracterization of the actual conditions of the new era.
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Watch on YouTubeHey, that is a gross mischaracterization.
- Hey, that is a gross mischaracterization.
Examples
-
Many believe that the criticism of the policy is a mischaracterization of its true intentions.
-
Indeed, there has been a sustained outcry against Bush's mischaracterization among our allies, who accuse the United States of being arrogant, unilateralist, and messianic.
Academic text (2002) -
To call that a mischaracterization of our doctrine would be generous.
Blog text (14) -
My response: I would say this is a gross mischaracterization of what I've said.
Blog text (3) -
O'Reilly took a similar approach to the Fox News mischaracterization of a White House website post looking to correct untruthful claims about health care reform.
Academic text (2016) -
Mitt Romney's mischaracterization of the tweet by the U.S. Embassy in Egypt reveals:
Blog text (27) -
And to call Solnit, for one, a "liberal" or a "Democrat" demonstrates either ignorance or deliberate mischaracterization.
Blog text (27) -
All the many flaws, inaccuracies, mischaracterizations, generalizations, and biases have been brought to light.
Blog text (14) -
The author's statement was a clear mischaracterization of the events that took place during the meeting.
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The article contained a mischaracterization of the data, leading to widespread misunderstanding among readers.
Synonyms
27
7.5
A statement that gives false information about something
13
6.0
A wrong understanding of something that leads to wrong conclusions
12
6.8
A wrong idea about something
5
4.0
A wrong idea about what someone wrote or said
5
7.5
A wrong idea about what something means
2
7.5
A wrong idea someone has about something
1
9.9
A wrong understanding of what someone wrote or said
1
8.3
A wrong idea about what someone said or meant
1
7.5
An incorrect or misleading statement about something
Giving information in a misleading way that makes people misunderstand it
Antonyms
57
4.4
A description of the main qualities of a person or thing in a clear, detailed way
How Accurate
24
4.9
12
5.8
- US
6
8.3
27
7.5
43
5.8
31
6.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
mischaracterization = characterization (transparent) = mis + character + ize + ation
The negative prefix 'mis-' applied to 'characterization' yields a straightforward sense of an incorrect or unfair description.
Etymology
Mischaracterization breaks into mis- ('wrong') and character ('the qualities or picture of a person'), with the ending -ization that makes it a noun. So a mischaracterization is a 'wrong' picture or description of someone or something, which is why it means an incorrect or unfair description.