mistakenly
Americanadverb
-
unintentionally or inadvertently; by mistake.
I may have mistakenly interchanged them without realizing it.
-
in a way that is wrongly conceived, held, or done; incorrectly.
Many people mistakenly believe their PhD will help them land a stable, middle-class job even if they can't get an academic job.
Etymology
Origin of mistakenly
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.
Mistakenly assuming he was asking about radio production, the corporation advised him to study electronics - leading him to a course at Manchester University in the early 1980s.
From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025
"Mistakenly fearing a negative interaction may create misplaced partisan divides," they wrote, "not only keeping people from connecting with each other but also keeping people from learning about each other and from each other."
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2024
Army at the start of World War I. Mistakenly delivering kitchen trash to a general’s living room is only the start of their woes.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2024
Mistakenly waved home by third base coach Phil Nevin, Judge was easily thrown out at the plate — 8-6-2 — by the team that led the majors with 43 outfield assists during the season.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 5, 2021
Mistakenly believing they had reached the East Indies, these early explorers called its inhabitants “Indians.”
From Textbooks • Dec. 30, 2014
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
