misinformation

American  

[mis-in-fer-mey-shuhn] / ˌmɪs ɪn fərˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead.

   In the chaotic hours after the earthquake, a lot of misinformation was reported in the news.

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Usage

What's the difference between misinformation and disinformation? Misinformation refers to false information, regardless of whether or not it’s intended to mislead or deceive people. Disinformation, in contrast, refers to false information that’s spread with the specific intent of misleading or deceiving people.Due to their similarity, the terms are sometimes used in overlapping ways. All disinformation is misinformation, but not all misinformation is disinformation. Disinformation is the more specific of the two because it always implies that the false information is being provided or spread on purpose.Disinformation is especially used in the context of large-scale deception, such as a disinformation campaign by a government that targets the population of another country. Misinformation can be spread with the intent to trick people or just because someone incorrectly thinks it’s true.This distinction can also be seen in the difference between their verb forms, misinform and disinform. To misinform someone is to provide them with wrong information, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it was intentional. Disinform, which is much less commonly used, means to intentionally provide or spread false information.One way to remember the difference between misinformation and disinformation is to remember that misinformation can be a mistake, while disinformation is not just false but dishonest.Here’s an example of misinformation and disinformation used correctly in a sentence.Example: The intelligence report concluded that the rumors spread prior to the election were not simply the result of misinformation but rather of coordinated disinformation by a foreign power.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between misinformation and disinformation.

Etymology

Origin of misinformation

First recorded in 1580–90; mis- ¹ ( def. ) + information ( def. )

Example Sentences

This misinformation didn’t stop the pandemic; some places saw death rates as high as 10 percent.

From Literature

The city called the post “misinformation” and said the Facebook page has previously shared false information about its shelter animals.

From Los Angeles Times

"We spend time going through the evidence with them – there is a lot of misinformation out there."

From BBC

Saturday's summit declaration struck a cautious tone on AI safety risks, from misinformation and surveillance to fears of the creation of devastating new pathogens.

From Barron's

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco called them out as “keyboard warriors” and accused some of spreading misinformation.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• falsity
• misreport
• misstatement