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Glite Dictionary
to misdeliver

to misdeliver

1 6.8
To give a letter or package by mistake to the wrong place
  • verb
  • /ˌmɪs.dɪˈlɪv.ər/
translation icon : entregar erróneamente
  • Cliff misdelivered everybody's mail.
  • misdelivered mail

Examples

  • Beneath the mail slot was a misdelivered pack of letters, forwarded from one of the magazines in which her columns appeared.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Holding misdelivered packages for ransom, especially when the ransom is sexual favors, is frowned upon by the law.

    Blog text (16)

  • The postman apologized after he realized he had misdelivered my package to the wrong house.

  • Every week, the office receives complaints about misdelivered letters that are sent to the wrong addresses.

  • I had to return the misdelivered mail to the post office so it could reach its intended recipient.

Synonyms

to misdirect
vsto misdeliver
2 5.5

To send something to the wrong address or person

hands items to the wrong person by mistake

How Correct

to deliver
933 1.0
to misdeliver
1 6.8

Surface Forms

misdeliver infinitive
misdelivered past
misdelivered past participle
misdelivering present participle
misdelivers third person singular

Morphology

misdeliver = deliver (transparent) = mis + deliver

Productive English prefix 'mis-' meaning 'wrongly' combines with the verb 'deliver' to yield the expected meaning 'to deliver incorrectly or to the wrong recipient'.

Etymology

The word misdeliver joins mis- meaning 'wrong' and deliver meaning 'to bring or give something to someone'. So, misdeliver means to bring or give an item to the wrong person or address by mistake.