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Synonyms

misconceive

American  
[mis-kuhn-seev] / ˌmɪs kənˈsiv /

verb (used with or without object)

misconceived, misconceiving
  1. to conceive or interpret wrongly; misunderstand.


misconceive British  
/ ˌmɪskənˈsiːv /

verb

  1. to have the wrong idea; fail to understand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of misconceive

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at mis- 1, conceive

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Regrettably, he and they misconceive the application of the U.S.

From Salon Feb. 22, 2023

People misconceive reality, according to his diagnosis, because they think about it without imagination or by rote.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was scarcely possible that she could misconceive.

From Osceola the Seminole The Red Fawn of the Flower Land by Mayne Reid

But you misconceive me: I return, at once, and my friend remains behind to answer for me.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Volume XV by Robert Louis Stevenson

At any rate, Acton demanded that the historian must never misconceive the case of the adversaries of his views, or leave in shade the faults of his own side.

From The History of Freedom by John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, Baron Acton

Some movies are toxically misconceived, and “The Drama” is among them.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 2, 2026

Those changes enabled the bandmates, friends since they were teens, to become even closer, despite any misconceived notion that they’ve been at odds.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 22, 2025

Penult Capital Partners, which arranges insurance for E&J Estates, said "the various claims made by Velitor are fundamentally misconceived".

From BBC Jul. 16, 2025

Mrs Vardy later launched an appeal bid against the decision, claiming it constituted "serious misconduct", while Mrs Rooney's lawyers claimed the challenge was "misconceived".

From BBC Apr. 10, 2025

Our claims to knowledge, Montaigne said, are generally misconceived because we will not acknowledge our limits as human beings.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

For wine has many excellences, and one pre-eminent one, about which there is a difficulty in speaking to the many, from a fear of their misconceiving and misunderstanding what is said.

From Laws by Benjamin Jowett

Don't ask me to forgive; I ask your pardon for misconceiving you; I have nothing to forgive in you.

From The Unwilling Vestal by Edward Lucas White

If, after all, she was capable of misconceiving the entire set of his motives during the past two years, expostulation would be futile.

From The Blazed Trail by Stewart Edward White

But, misconceiving the views of the administration, he reserved these representations until complaints should be made, and omitted to urge them while the Directory was deliberating on the course it should pursue.

From Life and Times of Washington, Volume 2 Revised, Enlarged, and Enriched by John Frederick Schroeder

The interpretation arises from misconceiving an Oriental expression, and a forcible as well as natural one.

From The Posthumous Works of Thomas De Quincey, Vol. 1 by Alexander H. (Alexander Hay) Japp

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